The aim of this paper is to discuss the needs for investment in electricity interconnectors in Europe by 2025. We evaluate the impact of cross-border transmission capacity on dispatch costs, ...curtailment needs for renewable energy sources (RES), on CO2 emissions, on hydro storage utilisation and on security of supply (in terms of energy not served). The analysis is performed with EUPowerDispatch, a minimum-cost dispatch model. For the evolution of the electricity generation portfolio and electricity consumption we use the latest Scenario Outlook and Adequacy Forecast of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E). The model results show that the planned additional cross-border transmission capacity between 2010 and 2025 will reduce annual dispatch costs, will have limited impact on the security of supply and will not be a significant cause of variable RES curtailment. However, in case of more RES, it will reduce dispatch costs to a larger extent and will considerably reduce RES curtailment needs, and, if demand grows at the historical rate of 2%, it will be needed to maintain the current level of security of supply. Moreover, our study shows that hydro pumping and storage and cross-border transmission are partly complementary technologies.
•A model for assessing the benefits of cross-border transmission capacity in Europe.•Current cross-border transmission: not an important constraint for RES by 2025.•CO2 emissions from electricity generation decrease by 17% (2010–2025).•Transmission investment necessary if demand is slightly higher than projected.•Storage and transmission are at least partly complementary technologies.
► Impact of African electricity import on the European and Italian systems is studied. ► European net electricity exchanges tend to follow the direction from South to North. ► Italian system's ...potential of becoming a Mediterranean electricity hub is shown. ► Solving internal grid congestion is crucial for the Mediterranean power integration.
Several European initiatives consider the electrical integration of the Euro-Mediterranean region a key priority for meeting future European Union (EU) energy policy goals. Ambitious plans include the development of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in the region as well as transmission interconnectors between the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The success of such initiatives, in addition to several techno-economic, political, environmental, regulatory and financial obstacles, depends on the ability of the European electricity network to suitably accommodate large electricity imports from North Africa. In order to address the issue, this paper, based on the combination of two methodologies, presents a first techno-economic analysis of the effects of electricity imports from North Africa on the European and the Italian power systems in 2030. Within a common framework, the adopted approach has proved its feasibility with coherent results showing a decrease in electricity prices in Europe. The European study shows how net electricity exchanges tend to follow the direction from South to North. The impact of North-African electricity on the Italian system is relevant. Also, Italy's potential of becoming a Mediterranean electricity hub is emphasised. National internal grid congestion results to be a crucial issue for the Euro-Mediterranean electrical integration.
► The impact of network topology on transmission network reliability is analysed. ► The usefulness of transmission network reliability indicators is discussed. ► More interconnected power grids have ...experienced a larger number of fault events. ► Impacts in terms of reliability indicators are lower for more interconnected grids. ► The analysis is shown to be very sensitive to rare extreme events.
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity has been publishing network reliability data for major fault events in the European electricity transmission network since 2002. The work presented focuses on three reliability indicators provided for each major fault event: energy not supplied, total loss of power and restoration time. The purpose of this paper is to assess the usefulness of these indicators and to gain a better understanding of the impact of network topology on transmission network reliability. The topology is assessed in terms of network interconnectivity. For each indicator, the sum of the observed values and the Empirical Cumulative Distribution Functions (ECDF) are used to compare networks with different topologies. More interconnected grids have experienced a larger number of fault events. However, their impacts in terms of reliability indicators are significantly lower. In spite of the observed differences between network groups, results show significant sensitivity to reliability indicators’ data sets. The usefulness and significance of transmission network reliability indicators are discussed.
