e-Highway2050 – Modular Development Plan of the Pan-European Transmission System 2050

Following the Study Roadmap towards a Modular Development Plan on the Pan-European Electricity Highways System 2050 performed by ENTSO-E members in response to the Energy Infrastructure Package blueprint published by the European Commission (EC), a consortium of 28 partners, involving a wide spectrum of stakeholders, proposes the development and implementation of a top-down long-term planning approach, to be coordinated by RTE France. The approach begins with the Pan-European Transmission Network as proposed by the Ten-Year Network development Plan (TYNDP) 2012, which is assumed to be in line with the 2020 EU energy targets. The modular long-term planning approach is broken down into five steps:

Modular long-term planning approach

Click on the headlines to learn more about the five steps:

  • 1

    Energy generation and consumption scenarios

    Development and application of an approach to design different long-term energy generation, exchange and consumption scenarios, based on macro-economic data. The energy adequacy between generation, exchange and consumption is ensured at the European level irrespective of the scenario studied.

  • 2

    Power localisation scenarios

    Power localisation scenarios, using the assumptions about the generation mix exchanges and consumption by area are developed. Stochastic inputs (such as renewable generation, uncontrollable consumption or failure modes of generation units) with their temporal and spatial correlations are simulated. Power adequacy between generation, exchanges and consumption should be ensured probabilistically.

  • 3

    Simulation of load flows with potential overloads and/or weak points

    The use of market and network simulation techniques to identify feasible and efficient pan-European grid architectures under each of the scenarios chosen above by 2050.

  • 4

    Viable grid architecture option

    Verification that the grid architecture options selected alleviate critical issues focusing on overload problems and possible voltage and/or stability problems for a given level of system reliability. In return, this must allow some of the successful architectures to become part of the final modular development plan between 2020 and 2050.

  • 5

    Implementation of the retained architecture

    The development of implementation routes from 2020 to 2050, proposed on the basis of cost/benefit analyses, appropriate wider socio-economic considerations and grid governance models able to address issues such as cross-border power flows.

This scenario-based, top-down innovative planning methodology considers the whole electricity supply chain, taking into account all the relevant technical/technological, economic/financial and regulatory/socio-political dimensions needed to develop efficient, yet sustainable, grid architecture options which will meet future energy supply requirements. Scenarios on generation, storage capacities and consumption patterns will be worked out in detail, based on stakeholder consultations and in-depth work with professional associations.


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