Investment in a Europe-wide energy grid should be prioritised over renewable technology, an EU advisor claimed this week.
“The transmission is the key for reducing CO2 emissions, not the renewable technology,” said Interconnection coordinator for the EU Commission Georg Wilhelm Adamowitsch at last week’s Off shore Wind 09 conference.
“There is no point investing in technology if you don’t have the infrastructure to take the energy to the customer in Milan or Paris. The national perspective is to fulfil climate commitments but we need European solutions, not national grids.”
The European Commission put forward proposals for a European Off shore Supergrid in European waters in its strategic energy review in November last year.
The Supergrid would connect geographically dispersed wind farms across Europe, ensuring a reliable and predictable source of energy, even if diff erent geographic areas are experiencing different weather, by transporting electricity from where it is produced to regions of demand.
The plans are challenging, however, with the deep water demanding suitable floating and semi-submersible platforms to support the turbines and expertise in deep sea cable technology required in order to connect them up.
“There is no point investing in technology if you don’t have the infrastructure to take the energy to the customer in Milan or Paris. The national perspective is to fulfil climate commitments but we need European solutions, not national grids.”
The European Commission put forward proposals for a European Off shore Supergrid in European waters in its strategic energy review in November last year.
The Supergrid would connect geographically dispersed wind farms across Europe, ensuring a reliable and predictable source of energy, even if diff erent geographic areas are experiencing different weather, by transporting electricity from where it is produced to regions of demand.
The plans are challenging, however, with the deep water demanding suitable floating and semi-submersible platforms to support the turbines and expertise in deep sea cable technology required in order to connect them up.
Source: The New Civil Engineer
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