The European Commission has targets for 20% of energy to come from renewable sources like wind power by 2020. This will require upgrades to Europe's electricity grid infrastructure to integrate more offshore wind power. The document discusses plans to build over 35,000 km of new transmission lines and upgrade 7,000 km of existing lines at a cost of 23-28 billion euros over 5 years. This will help connect renewable generation to areas of demand, improve security of supply, and facilitate a single European electricity market. However, integrating variable wind power over long distances poses technical challenges around transmission efficiency and managing periods of low generation.

1. The Future for electricity transmission in Europe and the
integration of wind power
Introduction
The European Commission’s energy strategy for Europe(1) requires that 20% of all energy
consumed within the EU is from renewable sources by 2020. The Commission estimates
that 12% of overall energy use should be supplied by offshore wind. Further, the Renewable
Directives also require member states to implement sufficient grid capacity to accept wind
power; and include a framework to encourage priority access and despatch for wind
generated power.
The EU has also tightened legislation on the internal electricity markets, and stipulates that
Transmission System Operators (TSO’s) submit bi-annual transmission development plans,
under the ‘Third Liberalisation Package’. The proposals are intended to create a single,
harmonised electricity market across Europe. The aim is to achieve improved system
operation, fair access for renewable generation systems, and greater cooperation between
TSO’s; headed by ENTSO (European Network of Transmission Operators).
Long term energy strategy targets will lead towards an 80-95% reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions by 2050. The redevelopment of the European grid infrastructure must take
into account the current issues of enabling connection to wind power and distributing
electricity sourced from offshore wind to reach immediate targets; whilst keeping one eye
on the restructuring of the grid into a system that can provide the capabilities to cope with
demand ahead of 2050 and beyond.
The developments and requirements for a new European infrastructure
A complete and continental wide electricity network structure could provide Europe with
several benefits in addition to the integration of renewable energy. A fully interconnected
grid utilizing smart technology will reduce the cost of the move towards a carbon free
society for individual countries. It could vastly improve the security of service for
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2. consumers, and ensure efficient use and lower prices by the routing of energy to specific
areas of demand. It should also increase competition in the single energy market across
Europe.
The development of the European grid network, and the requirements to make a super grid
viable are both varied and complex. ENTSO’s Ten Year Network Development Plan (3)
proposes infrastructure redevelopment across 34 European countries, and includes
initiatives towards up to 500 investment projects totalling 23-28€ billion over the next five
years. The networks connecting over 525 million people over the continent will require
around 35,000km of new transmission lines, and up to 7,000km worth of upgrades to
existing lines. This represents a significant proportion (14%) of the total existing
transmission lines, and the TSO’s responsible plan to carry out 44% of this work in the
coming five year period, with the remaining 56% to be undertaken in the following five
years.
In the context of renewable energy, the connection of wind power to the European grid
presents its own specific issues, which must be overcome on a global level to enable full
integration. Due to the location of the generation plants, usually remote and far from the
areas of high demand and storage, measures must be taken to develop transmission lines
to connect wind farms to the grid. Innovation is also required in high voltage long distance
transmission and electricity storage technology. By its nature wind power is a highly
variable energy source, and networks will need to be able to cope with periods of minimal
generation as well as periods of high production. Interconnecting grids between countries
must be able to freely allow the physical exchange of electricity, while congestion
management and transmission efficiency will take on far greater importance. Some of the
specific challenges facing the integration of wind power will be discussed further in this
article.
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3. The current supply networks in Europe
Source: UCTE Transmission Development Plan (3)
The European grid network is currently made up of five synchronous regions(4), each with
its own governing organisations; as shown in the illustration above. The organisations all
fall under ENTSO’s remit to provide a framework by which the networks can cooperate and
coordinate the distribution of power. They are NORDEL (Organisation for the Nordic
Transmission System Operators), ATSOI (Association of Transmission System Operators in
Ireland), UKTSOA (UK Transmission System Operators), BALTSO (Cooperation organisation
of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Transmission System Operators), and UCTE (Union for
the Coordination of the Transmission of Electricity).
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4. The grid consists of transmission networks and distribution networks. Transmission
networks are high voltage power lines designed to transfer power from the major
generation plants to the areas of high energy demand. Usually the network voltages are in
excess of 100Kv, and they are managed by Transmission Network Operators (TSO’s) within
each region. They are designed to withstand any failure of one specific component, and
their robust construction enables supply to continue even if one particular transmission line
or transformer is down. Even in more complex failure situations whereby more than one
component of the network has failed, they are capable of continued power supply. The
networks are actively managed 24 hours a day to balance power entering and departing the
network, as well as adjusting the configuration of the network to cope with periods of high
demand or known periods of down time.
Distribution networks are generally of a lower voltage, less than 100Kv, and assume the
role of transferring electricity from the transmission networks to the consumer. These
networks are not managed in the same vein as transmission networks, but are designed
with extreme circumstances in mind. The design will assume worst case scenarios such as a
combination of maximum demand and high ambient temperatures, to ensure the network
will continue to function even in adverse conditions, and that the customer’s experience is
one of uninterrupted supply.
Power generation connected directly to the distribution network is termed ‘embedded
generation’ or ‘distributed generation’. Renewable power and wind power are the most
common types of generation connected to the distribution network. In the main it is
unusual for generation to be connected directly to these networks; however this situation is
changing, in particular in Germany and Denmark.
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5. References
(1) http://ec.europa.eu/energy/publications/doc/2011_energy2020_en.pdf
(2) https://www.entsoe.eu/system-development/tyndp-2010/
(3) http://docs.wind-watch.org/ucte-transmission08.pdf
(4) http://www.wind-energy-the-facts.org/en/part-2-grid-integration/grid-integration.html
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t: +49 (0) 30 2091 3330 | f: +49 (0) 30 2091 3263 | e: eq@iqpc.de | w: www.iqpc.de
Visit IQPC for a portfolio of topic-related events, congresses, seminars and conferences: www.iqpc.de