The new vision document, which builds on the organisation’s ongoing network development plans and innovation roadmaps, states that three elements are key for the power system of the future.
These are carbon neutral energy sources providing the bulk of power generation, system flexibility resources to complement the variability of generation and consumption and to address the increase in overall system complexity, and a power grid connecting generators, consumers and flexibility resources across Europe and enabling a fully integrated energy market.
Thus the future power system will be a ‘system of systems’, which will need strong cooperation between transmission and distribution. At the same time it will be both more European and more local, the TSOs providing a critical interface between these two dimensions, says ENTSO.E.
The vision is based on four ‘building blocks’ that ENTSO.E states are necessary to build the future power system, of which one is the development of adequate flexibility resources.
As the energy generation will be predominantly weather dependent, a significant amount of flexibility will be required ranging from short duration of milliseconds up to longer periods of weeks.
This will need to be timed with the future system needs and the gradual phase-out of fossil fuel generation.
Another is the operation of the future grid, with new and emerging control technologies utilising real time visibility and automation and AI.
Underpinning this will require close cooperation among both the TSOs at European and regional levels and with the DSOs.
These will require both significant investments in infrastructure and a regulatory framework and market design ‘fit for purpose’ that delivers the required price and investment signals and the necessary ancillary services.
In delivering these ‘building blocks’ three key challenges also will need to be addressed – power system resilience, affordability for final users and sustainability.
“The scale of change is such that we need to act now,” says ENTSO.E in its vision document.
“To transform this vision into reality as soon as possible, a strong cooperation across the whole energy industry, and a permanent dialogue with consumers, stakeholders and public authorities at European, national and local level will be needed.”
