Europe's top wind and power groups ring alarm bells on lack of grid space for renewables

Limited grid capacity risks throttling Europe’s energy transition, the continent’s top wind and electric power federations – WindEurope and Eurelectric – have warned ahead of a meeting Thursday under the patronage of EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson.

The ‘high-level electricity grid forum’ hosted by the European association for the cooperation of transmission system operators (ENTSO-E) will bring together transmission and distribution system operators and stakeholders to discuss how Europe’s power grids can support the huge expansion of renewable energy.

“Europe is not investing enough in its electricity grids. Renewables are expanding rapidly, EVs are growing, and heat pump sales are taking off. But the grid is not expanding at the same pace,” WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said.

“Europe needs to ramp up grid investments from €40bn ($43bn) to up to €80bn a year. Much of it will go into new lines and infrastructure.

“But Europe must also optimise its existing grids. The technology - and finance - is readily available. The EU should make electricity grids one of its key energy priorities.”

The EU targets to add some 30GW of new wind power every year up to 2030, but last year only installed about half of that, in part because of transmission bottlenecks.

More than 100GW of renewables projects are waiting for grid connection in Spain, and more than 50GW in Romania, WindEurope pointed out.

Governments must simplify the grid connection process and ensure applications are approved as fast as possible, the group demanded, adding they should also clarify the rules on grid connection and publish regular data on congestion, curtailment, and available grid capacity.

The European power-sector trade association Eurelectric in a new grid report also said that limited grid capacity risks delaying Europe’s energy transition.

By 2030, Europe will add around 50 to 60 million heat pumps, 65 to 70 million electric vehicles (EVs) and over 600GW of new renewable capacity as foreseen by the EU’s REPowerEU strategy, Eurelectric said. Around 70% of that capacity will be directly connected to distribution grids.

“Getting our electricity networks fit for net zero should be a top priority in the coming years, both at EU and national level,” said Eurelectric secretary general Kristian Ruby.

“This requires a new mindset among regulators and legislators. One that anticipates Europe’s capacity needs to integrate more renewable projects, and one that accommodates unprecedented electrification of transport, buildings and industry to match the speed and scale needed for Europe’s energy transition.”

Europe also needs to expand its manufacturing capacities for grid equipment, WindEurope added, detailing that Europe’s grid equipment supply chain - substations, transformers, cables, transformers, switchgears - is currently not big enough today.

It can produce up to 1,900 km of offshore cables a year today, while Europe needs up to 3,200 km by 2030, the group said, adding that Europe also needs to expand its transformer and substation manufacturing.