Its a Bird,

Its a Plane,
Its aSupergrid!
Evolution, Opportunities, and Critical
Issues for Pan-European Transmission

Several initiatives have been launched in the last decade in

the European Union (EU) to align pan-European power grid development with the EUs
policy targets, particularly in the energy and climate change fields. The building of new
infrastructures, initially driven mainly by the need for increased cross-border trading and
integration of the wholesale electricity markets, is nowadays also strongly supported by
the demand for integrating diversified, low-carbon energy sources (e.g., renewable wind
and solar sources).
The shape of the power grid in the medium- to long-term future (to 2050) depends
greatly on different potential scenarios for the following items: renewable energy deployment (primarily in terms of technologies, performance, and geographical siting); extension of the European electricity network toward neighboring power grids (e.g. those of
Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Russia); and the penetration of distributed energy
sources that require the development of a smarter power system, especially at lower voltage levels. These factors, by defining preferential patterns for cross-European and intercontinental power flows, will outline the critical structural and operational needs of the
European power grid of the future.
This article discusses the emerging challenges facing the European transmission
grid as it contributes to meeting the EUs energy and climate change policy goals. We

By Ettore Bompard, Gianluca Fulli,

Mircea Ardelean, and Marcelo Masera
40

ieee power & energy magazine

1540-7977/14/$31.002014IEEE

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2013.2294813

Date of publication: 19 February 2014

march/april 2014

Transmission: istockphoto.com/Kharlamova
Bird & Plane: image licensed by ingram publishing

march/april 2014

ieee power & energy magazine 41

focus on the European ultra-high-voltage system, which is

already considered to be a smart system but is expected to
evolve toward architectures offering higher transfer capacities (a so-called supergrid). We address the challenges of
making power distribution systems smarter only insofar as
transmission-distribution interfaces are concerned, in the
course of illustrating the tensions and complementarities
within the smart grid and supergrid concepts.
In this light, the article presents the main policy objectives and visions for electricity in the European Union,
key figures and trends relating to the European energy and
electricity systems in a worldwide context, and technological options and design challenges for the pan-European
transmission grid. The article ends by summarizing various
needs and potential solutions for the EU transmission grid in
view of its long-term evolution.

EU Policy Objectives
and Vision for Electricity
The EUs energy and climate change policies aim to concurrently confront challenges related to:
security of energy supply (by ensuring a reliable and
uninterrupted supply of energy and electricity)
competitiveness as electricity markets are restructured (by reducing the energy bill for households and
businesses and maximizing market efficiency)
sustainability (by limiting the environmental impact
of energy production, transport, and use).
In 2009, the third internal energy market package was
one of the major EU policy initiatives. It was aimed at accelerating infrastructure investments, with the goal of ensuring the proper functioning of the EU electricity market. The
Europe 2020 growth strategywith its so-called 20/20/20
agendais the current starting point for Europes energy
and climate change policies. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% compared with 1990 levels, raise the share of
renewable sources in the overall EU energy mix to 20%, and
increase energy efficiency by 20%.
As far as energy grid development is specifically concerned, the medium-term policy was first outlined in the
EUs communication on energy infrastructure priorities
for 2020 and beyond and then detailed in the guidelines for
trans-European energy networks (TEN-E), which identified
three EU infrastructure priority areas (electricity highways,
smart grids, and CO2 networks) and nine infrastructure priority corridors (on electricity, gas, and oil).
As a first step in the implementation of TEN-E, the European Commission (EC) adopted a list of projects of common
interest (PCIs) in electricity, gas, and oil infrastructure. The
guidelines provide a new way to identify infrastructure projects of common interest and to accelerate their implementation through enhanced regional cooperation, streamlined
permit-granting procedures, adequate regulatory treatment,
and through European financial assistance under the proposed
Connecting Europe Facility. The list of PCIs is to be reviewed
42

ieee power & energy magazine

on a regular basis so as to implement the long-term vision of

pan-European market integration and a low-carbon transition.
As for the longer-term perspective, the EC has issued
the Energy Roadmap 2050, which outlines scenarios leading up to 2050 and following a path toward a low-carbon
economy, assuming a greenhouse gas emissions reduction
target of at least 80%. All of the scenarios share the following key elements:
The share of renewables in energy will grow, covering
more than 40% of gross final energy consumption in
2050, compared with the 20% expected in 2020.
Energy savings will be crucial, with a 3241% reduction in energy demand by 2050, compared with the
20052006 peaks.
The share of electricity in final uses will increase
from 22% in 2009 to 37% in 2050.
Capital investments in infrastructure assets will
increase, and the fossil fuel bill will decrease.
Decentralized power, i.e., power generation connected
to medium- and low-voltage distribution systems, will
grow, accounting for up to 35% of total generation
capacity by 2050.

European Energy: Figures and Trends

The final uses of energy in the EU and some other key areas
in 2009 are reported in Table 1. Europe accounts for 14% of
the final uses of energy in the world, almost the same level
as China and the United States (17%). Electricity represents
20% of the final uses of energy in the EU, basically the same
as in the United States.
In 2009, the total EU energy consumption for final uses
was covered mainly by oil and oil products (44%), gas
(22%), and electricity (20%). This mix varies widely across
countries and over time depending on the availability of
resources, national policies and regulations, decarbonization
requirements, and internal market developments. In turn, the
production of electricity in the EU in 2010 was based mostly
on traditional fuels (more than 50%), while nuclear production was still remarkable (27%) and renewables accounted
for 21%, according to Eurostat.
The general EU energy scenario has been characterized by an increase over the last two decades in oil and gas
imports, which are set to exceed 80% of the total oil and gas
consumption by 2030. In contrast, other major countries like
the United States are well on their way to becoming net gas
exporters, thanks to the shale gas production boom. This is
anticipated to widen the gap between EU and U.S. energy
and electricity prices and at the same time increase the use
of coal in Europe for electricity production. EU coal imports
increased by some 10% in 2012 relative to 2011. It is expected
in some optimistic scenarios that indigenous unconventional
gas could replace declining conventional production, reducing
import dependence to the 60% level. Rising global demand
for energy resources may directly affect Europe. In 2012, EU
imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) dropped by 30% with
march/april 2014

table 1. The final uses of energy in 2009. (Source: IEA, 2009 with completions.)
Consumption
by Source

EU-27

United States

Mtoe %

%W Mtoe %

%W Mtoe %

Solid fuels/coal
and peat

36

3.1

4.3

2.8

Petroleum
and products

505

43.7 14.6 740

Gases

258

Geothermal,
solar, etc.

23

Rest of the World World

%W Mtoe %

%W Mtoe %

%W Mtoe %

2.2

28.6 832

4.3

50.6 21.4 336

23.5 9.7

106

25.1 3.1

22.3 20.4 312

21.3 24.6 50

3.5

3.9

128

30.3 10.1 518

13.3 40.9 1,266 15.2

0.2

11.1

0.1

11.1

0.6

50

0.1

27.8

Biofuels
and waste

71

6.1

6.6

65

4.4

202

14.1

18.7 2

0.5

0.2

740

19.1

68.5 1,080 12.9

Electricity

234

20.3 16.2 313

21.4 21.7 263

18.4 18.3 60

14.2 4.2

571

14.7 39.6 1,441 17.3

Heat

49

4.2

0.5

3.8

21.7 108

25.6 42.7 34

Total

1,155 100

17.1

100

13.8 1,462 100

517

Russia

36.1 62.1 18

19.4 7

1.6

China

2.8

55

17.5

1,432 100

422

5.1

238

6.1

10

1,775 45.7 51.3 3,462 41.5

0.9

3,881 100

18

13.4 253

0.2

46.5 8,352 100

NOTE: %W = % from world.

respect to 2011 because Japan and Korea attracted more LNG

with higher buying prices. The International Energy Agency
(IEA) anticipates global energy demand growth of about 35%
over the period leading up to 2035, with China, India, and the
Middle East accounting for 60% of the increase.
Gas and electricity bills for consumers account for a
growing share of household expenditures, ranging from 7%
to 17% across the EU member states. Nevertheless, over the
last decade, while prices for crude oil, gas, and coal have
increased annually by 14%, 10%, and 8%, respectively, the
average EU wholesale electricity price has risen by less than
4%. The moderate increase in electricity pricesas compared
with the steeper growth of fossil fuel pricesis attributable to
the ongoing introduction of competition in the electricity sector. The electricity prices for residential customers (consumers
of 2,5005,000 kWh annually) are not homogeneous in the
EU member states; they range from 0.10/kWh to 0.30/kWh.
Along with this relatively high level of prices there is an
aging and not always adequate generation and transmission
infrastructure. The European electricity transmission infrastructure is composed of seven major synchronous subsystems, as shown in Table 2. The European electricity sector
has been evolving from a regulated structure dominated by
vertically integrated utilities to an unbundled and liberalized system organized into various regional markets. In each
European country, one or more transmission system operators (TSOs) are responsible for operating, maintaining, and
developing the power grid.
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) was founded in 2008 and
is made up of 41 TSOs from 34 European countries, as laid
down in the ECs third electricity and gas liberalization package. ENTSO-E incorporates the former European Transmission System Operators association (ETSO) and five TSO
march/april 2014

organizations (ATSOI, BALTSO, NORDEL, UCTE, and

UKTSOA). ENTSO-Es mission is to promote cooperation
among TSOs on important aspects of energy policy relating
to security, adequacy, market needs, and sustainability.
A geographic overview with some key figures on the different synchronous systems in Europe is given in Figure 1, drawing on the information reported in ENTSO-E documents and
a UCTE-IPS/UPS study for the synchronous interconnection
of the European continental grid with the power systems of
the Commonwealth of Independent States. The electricity
networks of Cyprus and Malta are independent and presently
not connected to the continental system.
The security of supply, sustainability, and competitiveness goals of the EU energy policies, driven by new trends
including increased distributed generation penetration, massive deployment of renewable sources, and decarbonization targets, are expected to greatly affect the design and
operation of European electricity networks. In particular,
the target of a 20% share of renewable energy in final EU
energy consumption corresponds to a 35% share of renewable energy sources in electricity consumption by 2020
(compared with only 21% in 2010).
It has been estimated that the total investment required in
the EU in energy generation, transmission, and distribution
infrastructure through 2020 is on the order of 1 trillion. This
investment should ensure greater diversification of energy
sources, cleaner energies, and competitive prices within an
integrated energy market. As far as the power transmission
grid is concerned, the new investment needed (including storage facilities) is foreseen to amount to about 200 billion
through 2020. On the generation side, almost a fifth of the
EUs total coal capacity is to be retired in the period leading up
to 2020. Due to low energy demand and increasing renewable
electricity production, some 65 GW of gas and coal power
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44

ieee power & energy magazine

march/april 2014

BALTSO: AT, ELERING, LITGRID

ATSOI: EIRGRI, SONI

UKTSOA: NGET, SHETL, SPTRAN

IPS/UPS: ECO Center, ECO South,

ECO North-West, ECO Middle Volga,
ECO Urals, ECO Siberia, Ukrenerego,
Belenergo, Moldelectrica, GSE and
Sakrusenergo, Azerenergy, KEGOC,
Barki, Tojik, Electricheskie Stancii,
Mongolian Central Energy System

Only buses 132 kV.

TEIAS: TEIAS

NORDEL: Energinet.dk, FINGRID,

STATNETT, SVK; Landsnet (Iceland)
observer

UCTE: APG, VUEN, NOS BiH, Elia,

ESO, Swissgrid, Cyprus TSO, CEPS,
TransnetBW, TenneT GER, Amprion,
50 Hertz, Energinet.dk, Elering AS,
REE, Fingrid, RTE, National Grid,
SONI, SHETL, SPTransmission,
IPTO, HEPOPS, MSVIR ZRt, EirGrid,
Landsnet, Terna, Litgrid, Creos
Luzembourg, Augstsprieguma tkls,
Crnogorski elektroprenosni sistem,
MEPSO, TenneT NL, Statnett, PSE
S.A., REN, Transelectrica, EMS,
SVENSKA KRAFTNT, ELES SEPS

Subsystem

Turkey

Russia, Ukraine,
Belarus,
Moldova,
Georgia,
Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Mongolia

England, Wales,
Scotland

Ireland, Northen
Ireland

Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Continental
Europe, West
Denmark

Finland, Norway,
Sweden, East
Denmark, Iceland

EU

Region,
Countries

15

41

TSOs

707

2,000

1,743

56

79

784

7,306

No. of
Buses1

40,826

165,000

28,827

2,687

5,477

36,532

222,402

Lines (no.)1

1,022

1,600

36,170

8,819

17,147

44,340

374,053

Lines
(km)

75.6

248.4

63.2

6.4

6.4

22.7

434.9

Population
(mil.)

table 2. Power transmission systems in Europe.

783.5

2,2667.4

229.8

84.4

17.5

1,206.2

3,294.2

Area (th.
km2)

36

210

53.5

6.5

4.5

61

387

Peak
Power
(GW)

230

1,260

365

35.4

26

412

2,600

Consumption
(TWh)

53

327

75

9.7

10

97

671

Installed
Capacity
(GW)

UCTE

NORDEL

Not in
operation

UCTE

Synchronous

BALTSO

UCTE

ATSOI

UKTSOA

IPS/UPS

NORDEL

IPS/UPS

UCTE

BALTSO

Western
Ukraine

Maghreb

TEIAS

Not in
operation

IPS/UPS

UKTSOA

NORDEL

Interconnected
to

plant projects have been postponed or cancelled in the last

three years. It is also worth noting that European investment in
renewable energy sources dropped in the first quarter of 2013
by 25% (with respect to the same period of the previous year),
with an almost complete halt in countries like France, Italy,
and Spain.

The Pan-European Transmission Grid:

Options and Challenges

actions) and the interconnection capacity available for

cross-border trade. According to ENTSO-E scenarios
for 2020, 80% of the bottlenecks are related to RES
integration, either because direct connection of RESs
is at stake or because the network section or corridor
is a keyhole between RESs and load centers. In addition, ENTSO-E market studies show larger, more volatile power flows over larger distances across Europe.
Investment on the grid is needed to avoid the worsening of present congestion and new congestion. Other
signs of the need to adjust market rules come from the
increasing number of frequency deviations caused by
short-term mismatches between power consumption
and power generation experienced in the European
synchronous regions. Several measures to cope with
these issues have been proposed or deployed, including
enhanced coordination among TSOs, innovative control devices, investing in cross-border infrastructure,
demand response measures, storage, and paying for the
availability of generation capacityoften based on fossil fuelsat the national level. The latter solution, however, is currently stirring up the ECs concerns about
the risks associated with market inefficiencies.
Technological options and coordinated operation
of intelligent devices: Advanced technologies other

Among the main challenges faced in the design and development of the evolving European transmission system, one can
highlight the following:
Public acceptance and permitting: The bulk power
system expansion is curbed by environmental and
social issues. Social acceptance of electricity infrastructures is always a concern, as the resistance of local
authorities and/or public opinion to new lines is persistently high. The time required to get permits for grid
facilities is generally much longer than the time needed
to build new power plants. One in three planned investments by ENTSO-E faces delays in implementation
due to long permitting processes, and some sections of
new overhead lines have had to be replaced with underground cables. In Germany, as of mid-2012, only 214
km of 1,834 km of urgent transmission grid expansion
projects were completed.
To overcome these delays,
the new TEN-E guidelines
Power Transmission
Systems in the EU
include binding time limits
for the permit process, the
UCTE
establishment of a national
NORDEL
BALTSO
one-stop shop for permit
ATSOI
granting, and a streamlined
UKTSOA
public consultation.
IPS/UPS
Renewable energy inteTEIAS
gration, unplanned flows,
and capacity markets: The
HVdc Cable
HVac Cable
ongoing liberalization process and the massive deployHVdc B2B
Interconnections
ment of renewable energy
sources (RESs)which was
not coupled with adequate or
timely grid development
have led to increasing or
unplanned interarea power
exchanges through crossborder interconnectors. A
high share of renewable
energy in the electricity mix
also raises the question of
the adequacy of generation
capacities and grids. This
has a direct impact on the
costs of ensuring security of
supply (in terms of remedial figure 1. The power transmission systems in Europe and beyond.
march/april 2014

ieee power & energy magazine 45

than conventional high-voltage ac (HVac) infrastructure

are being deployed more and more at the transmission
level. High-voltage dc (HVdc) lines, already mature for
long-distance and undersea applications, have now been
included in several on- and offshore transmission grid
projects, particularly the voltage source converter (VSC)based HVdc system, which offers greater flexibility of
operation and easier expandability to multiterminal configurations. Phase-shifting transformers (PSTs) and flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) devices, thanks to
their ability to offer targeted active and/or reactive power
control, are being deployed to reduce unplanned flows.
New types of conductors, such as gas-insulated lines
(GILs) and high-temperature superconducting (HTS)
wires, so far installed mainly in pilot projects, promise
to increase transfer capacities. And a host of information
and communication technology (ICT) solutions are being
adopted to increase the adequacy and robustness of the
system, augmenting its monitoring capabilities and controllability (e.g., wide-area monitoring and control systems that let operators optimize the power flows across
very large systems thanks to satellite-based measurements
and dynamic thermal power-rating techniques that take
advantage of low temperatures to temporarily overload
conductors without the risks of mechanical and thermal
stress). It should be noted that in a highly meshed network
like the European one, if intelligent control devices are
extensively deployed they will deliver real benefits only
when subjected to coordinated operation; since these
technologies mutually influence each other, if sophisticated coordination and investment-sharing mechanisms
are not put in place, grid operators face the risk that these
devices will not deliver their full potential. They could
even contribute to unwanted system behaviors.
International expansion and the regulatory framework: There is a tendency in Europe (and indeed
worldwide) to plan extensions of the transmission
system beyond continental borders. Several initiatives
focus on interconnecting the power systems along the
shores of the Mediterranean; preliminary feasibility
studies have been conducted to interconnect the European power system with IPS/UPS; and even China has
expressed interest in performing planning studies to
interlink the Chinese power grid with Europe through
other international power systems. The first list of PCIs
already includes links to non-EU countries. Some of the
main regulatory and market obstacles in advancing this
process are found in the lack of sound financing frameworks and business models, the need to develop support schemes for RES generation in some countries; a
lack of shared and harmonized rules for network access,
capacity allocation, congestion management, and interTSO compensation; and a need for allocation and remuneration mechanisms for the backup reserve and storage
capacity necessary to cope with RES volatility.
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Super transmission grids and smart distribution

grids: In general, TSOs and distribution system operators (DSOs) still have to implement strategies to address
in a systematic way the interfacing issues originating
from smart distribution grid developments. Many of the
renewable-based generating units connected to distribution systems are only able to operate within limited
frequency ranges and can find themselves disconnected
just when they are needed to support system stability. According to ENTSO-E, If [they are] simultaneously applied to a large number of units, such unique
frequency thresholds can jeopardize the security of the
entire interconnected system. To make the transmission and distribution grids work together efficiently and
safely, increased coordination in their development and
operation must be pursued. Both transmission and distribution need to be further developed, not necessarily
just in terms of carrying capacity but also via advanced
ICT infrastructure and communication and control platforms. Networks and markets must adapt to the coexistence of centralized and decentralized power generation.
ENTSO-E warns that the more active role of the networks themselves, as well as the expected more active
participation of loads and generation embedded in the
distribution systems, will impact on the forecast of the
load as well as, in the long run, the design of the market models. Several stakeholders (including regulators,
system operators, and power producers) are calling for
closer coordination between transmission and distribution systems, especially for issues concerning demand
and generation observability but also for interoperability and controllability, so as to ensure a suitable contribution of local resources to global system security.

A Possible Future Pan-European

Transmission Network
The main transmission grid projects agreed to by network
stakeholders and supported by EU legislative and financial
instruments can be grouped into four clusters:
1) North Sea offshore grid
2) Southwestern Europe and the Mediterranean area
3) Central and southeastern Europe
4) Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan.
The ongoing and planned activities in these four extended
areas are described below.

North Sea Offshore Grid

The North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI)
was launched in 2009 by ten nations (Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). The underlying
objective of the initiative is the exploitation of the huge wind
power potential of the North Sea via an offshore transmission network connected to the mainland grid. According to
NSCOGI scenarios, the countries belonging to the initiative
march/april 2014

 UCTE 2 Disconnected from UCTE 1 in

Autumn 1991 Due to War in Former Yugoslavia
Reconnected in November 2004

19902010

20102020

Beyond 2030

figure 2. The evolution of the European power transmission grid.

expect to host a total wind generation capacity of between 120

and 180 GW by 2030; the offshore portion should make up 40
to 60 GW of this total. The initiative obviously represents a
multinational effort, with shared cost and benefits. Appropriate technical and market regulation of all relevant aspects of
the initiative (grid planning, permitting procedures, offshore
generators grid connections, RES incentives, and market
design) is therefore crucial.
This grid, which will connect offshore wind farms in different countries in northern Europe, also aims to enhance
cross-border capability and the cross-border electricity trade
by exploiting the large pumped hydro storage potential existing in Norway. A prerequisite, however, is the parallel reinforcement of the grid in northern and central eastern Europe.
From a grid design standpoint, several topological solutions
are being studied, with a preference for the meshed multi
terminal networks built with modular multilevel converters
(MMCs), VSCs, and HVdc converters. There are connections
already in place between Germany and Norway (NorGer and
NorD.Link), The Netherlands and Norway (NorNed 1 and
march/april 2014

NorNed 2), Denmark and The Netherlands (Cobra), and The

Netherlands and the United Kingdom (BritNed). Others are
planned to link Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, and the
United Kingdom. Some VSC-based HVdc (VSC-HVdc) links
for offshore wind connection to the German shore (including
the BorWin 1, BorWin 2, SylWin 1, HelWin 1, and DolWin 1
projects) have recently been commissioned or begun construction. In the Baltic Sea, the HVdc interconnections between
eastern Denmark and Germany at Kriegers Flak are important for offshore wind integration and cross-border trade.

Southwestern Europe
and the Mediterranean Area
Planned reinforcements in this area include the cross-border
links between France and Spain (320-kV, 2x1000-MWVSCHVdc) and between Italy and France (500-kV, 2x600-MW
VSC-HVdc). Other short- and medium-term plans in the
region call for reinforcements and new interconnections at
the Portugal-Spain border as well as connecting islands with
the continental grid: a 2x200-MW current source converter
ieee power & energy magazine 47

HVdc (CSC-HVdc) link for the Balearic islands and a 220-kV,

250-MW ac link to Malta.
Furthermore, the southwestern European systems play a
key role in connecting Europe to North Africa, where conventional, solar, and wind energy are all available. The continental European network is synchronously coupled with
the northwestern Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco, and
Tunisia) via a single interconnection between Morocco and
Spain (2x700-MW ac). Other systems in the region include
the northeastern Maghreb countries (Egypt and Libya); the
Mashreq countries (Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria); Israel and
the Palestinian territories; and Turkey (TEIAS).
Two main groups of grid developments in the Mediterranean area are planned. The first consists of projects needed
to complete the so-called Mediterranean ring (MedRing) that
will interconnect most of the power systems of the countries
around the Mediterranean. The second is the cross-Mediterranean undersea interconnection of selected power systems
on the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean.
Closing the MedRing in HVac mode remains complex, as
demonstrated by the failure of the latest attempt (April 2010)
to synchronize Tunisia (and the European continental network) with Libya. The problems have to do with dynamic and
stability issues. The option of closing the MedRing using full
HVdc lines or back-to-back (B2B) HVdc systems seems more
feasible; in fact, this would allow for higher net transfer capacities and less difficult operation of the interconnected systems.
In this way, when Turkish grid synchronization with the continental European network is achieved, the two sections of the
MedRing that are still not synchronously interconnected
namely, the Tunisia-Libya and Turkey-Syria bordersmay be
directly interlinked via full or B2B HVdc schemes.
A number of initiatives and plans, such as the DESERTEC
Industrial Initiative and Medgrid, foresee at different levels
and under various time horizons and scenarios a large RESbased electricity exchange between the two Mediterranean
shores. The first cross-Mediterranean HVdc interconnection is a link planned between Tunisia and Italy. Additional
potential HVdc interconnections, such as Algeria-Spain,
Algeria-Italy, and Libya-Italy, have been investigated in
recent years. Many factorstechnical, regulatory, financial, market, socioenvironmental, and politicalhinder the
implementation of such projects in the short to medium term.

Central and Southeastern Europe

In central and eastern Europe several grid upgrades are
needed, especially in the Czech Republic and Poland and
at the interfaces with eastern and northeastern Germany, as
well in the grids of Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia. At the
same time, considering that generation capacity in Germany
is concentrated in the northeast while load is increasing
mostly in the south, considerable north-south transfer capacities should be planned. In the medium and long term, there
is the need for additional generation connection and interconnection capacities within and between the southeastern
48

ieee power & energy magazine

European countries and also for increasing transfer capacity

with central Europe. Other axes to be expanded are the eastwest corridor between the Adriatic and Black Sea countries
as well as the corridors at the borders of Italy with Austria
and Slovenia. As far as interconnections with non-EU countries are concerned, the most ambitious plan concerns the
potential coupling of the European continental zone (the former UCTE) with the IPS/UPS system in the former Soviet
countries. The latest studies maintain that a synchronous
connection may be feasible only as a long-term option, due
to technical, operational, legal, and regulatory issues. For
these reasons, nonsynchronous system coupling by HVdc
(in full or B2B links) is thought to be the safest short-term
solution. It is also worth mentioning that there are a number
of old 750-kV extra high-voltage (EHV) a cover head lines
that are currently out of operation or partly disconnected at
the border between the continental European system and
the IPS/UPS system that could be reused as the future backbones of a potential pan-European supergrid.

BEMIP
In 2009, eight Baltic Sea EU member states (Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden),
along with Norway as an observer, issued the Baltic Energy
Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP). BEMIPs main priority
is strengthening the interconnections between the Baltic states
and the other EU countries. The Baltic states are still synchronously connected with the power systems of the Republic of
Belarus and the Russian Federation (IPS/UPS); the 2006 tieline between Estonia and Finland (Estlink 1,350-MWVSCHVdc) is the only link with the EU power systems to date.
Other interconnections are planned between Lithuania and
Poland (LitPol, 400-kV, 2x500-MWB2BHVdc), between
Lithuania and Sweden (NordBalt, 700-MWVSC-HVdc),
between Estonia and Finland (Estlink 2, 650-MWCSCHVDC), and possibly between Latvia and Sweden. Additional
reinforcements, especially in Latvia and Lithuania, as well as
cross-border interconnections between Latvia and Lithuania
and between Estonia and Latvia are also planned in the short
and medium term. New nuclear power plant proposals, like
the one in the area of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, will
also be included in the planning studies for the grid due to their
impact on the Baltic power system.
Figure 2 depicts the main changesboth those that have
already occurred and those that are anticipatedin the interconnection of the different electricity subsystems that make
up the European power grid, as described above in detail.
In summary, a prospective pan-European supergrid may
in the long run include an enlarged HVac continental network
that synchronously interconnects with the Baltic countries,
Moldova, Turkey, and possibly Ukraine and further asynchronously links up with the British Isles and Scandinavia, along
with the presence of a closed Mediterranean ring and interconnections between the north and south shores of the Mediterranean. In this system, islands like Cyprus and Iceland (via
march/april 2014

potential HVdc links) and Malta (via an HVac link that has
already been planned) would be electrically linked; Belarus
and Russia would be asynchronously interconnected as well.
Further extension of the interconnected power system to
remote electricity grids (such as that of China) could represent
a very long-range option to explore beyond 2030.
Another interesting aspect of pan-European grid development concerns the historical evolution of the European highvoltage grids density (measured in terms of power line km per
land km2). Grid density increased steadily until the beginning

of the 21st century; over the last decade, however, a rather serious standstill has been recorded in transmission grid development, mainly associated with socioenvironmental opposition
to new installations and related permitting issues.
The maps in Figure 3 depict the grid density in 2010 and
the potential density occurring beyond 2030. The maps of
grid density were created by combining several electrical
power system spatial data sets from commercial and EC Joint
Research Centre (JRC) databases of EHV transmission lines.
In a business-as-usual scenario, it is probable that most of the

Grid Density km/100 km2

01
7.5110
1.013
10.0115
3.015
15.0120
5.017.5
20.01100

Grid Density km/100 km2

7.5110
01
1.013
10.0115
3.015
15.0120
5.017.5
20.01100
Baltic Energy
Market for Electricity

Baltic Energy
Market for Electricity
North Seas Offshore Grid

North Seas Offshore Grid

Central Eastern and
Southeastern Europe

Central Eastern and

Southeastern Europe

Southwestern Europe

Southwestern Europe

(a)

(b)
Grid Density
Increasing Transfer Capacity
Coupled with Decreasing Density
Increasing Transfer Capacity
Coupled with Increasing Density
Baltic Energy
Market for Electricity
North Seas Offshore Grid

Central Eastern and

Southeastern Europe

Southwestern Europe
(c)

figure 3. The current power transmission grid density in Europe and the density under two different scenarios for 2030
and beyond. (a) The line density in Europe 2010. (b) The potential evolution of line density in Europe business as usual
scenario beyond 2030. (c) The potential evolution of line density in Europe alternative scenario beyond 2030.
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ieee power & energy magazine 49

In Europe, there is a need to start today to build

the electricity networks planned for the next decades,
at both the transmission and distribution levels.

currently planned transmission grid infrastructure would be

successfully built without dismantling other adjoining power
infrastructure; this scenario therefore entails additional growth
in power grid density. An alternative post-2030 scenario could
instead include the construction of more long-distance EHV
backbonesto interconnect generation and consumption centers located far apart from each otheraccompanied by the
dismantling of adjoining HV infrastructure. This could occur
for the following reasons. First, it would provide environmental benefits and compensation to the populations whose lands
are crossed by such new infrastructure (e.g., the construction
of a new 380-KV line could be compensated for with the
dismantling of other 220-kV or 150-kV lines). Second, the
upward trend in distributed generation diffusion produces a
greater need for locally improved and upgraded medium- and
low-voltage networks than for high-voltage grids. The areas
where this trend may become more visible will probably be
those where a higher penetration of distributed generation is
occurring, e.g., the central parts of western Europe.

The Way Ahead

Meeting the energy and climate change policy objectives
of the EU requires a major transformation of the electricity infrastructure, from both the structural and operational
points of view, along with sizable volumes of investment.
The evolution of the power grid in the medium to long term
depends greatly on which scenarios are adopted for renewable energy deployment, extension of the European electricity network toward neighboring power grids, and the
penetration of distributed energy sources that require development of a smarter system.
Even with the advent of more decentralized power technologies and systems, it is expected that the transmission
grid will still have a crucial role in wheeling power over
long distances and serving as a backup to local distribution
grids. It is probable that neither of the different and, to a
certain extent, conflicting architecturessupercentralized
transmission and smart and decentralized distributionwill
prevail over the other, but they will need to be integrated
and combined.
In Europe, there is a need to start today to build the
electricity networks planned for the next decades, at both
the transmission and distribution levels. At the transmission level, the implementation of a pan-European supergrid
requires addressing and solving several technological, regulatory, market, and socioenvironmental issues.
50

ieee power & energy magazine

In summary, a pan-European supergrid can be envisioned as

an electricity grid infrastructure based on mixed HVac and HVdc
onshore and offshore backbones (highways) interconnecting
renewable energy sources and storage technologies and transporting bulk power to load centers across the whole European
continent and beyond. Whereas an increase of the long-distance
transfer capacity is expected in most of the transmission grid,
some areas could experience (contrary to what happened so far)
a decrease of total grid density in the future. This trendlinked
to socioenvironmental needs, distributed energy resource penetration, and strategic planning decisionscould also be supported by technological breakthroughs providing higher transfer
capacity in narrower corridors.
The JRC, as an independent science provider, is tasked
with monitoring the ongoing developments in and assessing the costs and benefits of the different technological and
architectural evolutions of the European power system to
provide scientific support to the relevant EU energy policies.
For more information, visit http://ses.jrc.ec.europa.eu/.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions
and comments of Angelo LAbbate of RSE, Italy.

For Further Reading

E. Bompard, et al., Classification and trend analysis of
threats origins to the security of power systems, Int. J.
Electr. Power Energy Syst., 2013.
E. Bompard, et al., Market-based control in emerging distribution system operation, IEEE Trans. Power Delivery, 2013.
C. Brancucci Martinez-Anido, et al., Medium-term
demand for European cross-border electricity transmission
capacity, Energy Policy, 2013.
FP7 SESAME Project. Tools and regulation framework
for European power grid security. [Online]. Available:
https://www.sesame-project.eu/
IEE GridTECH Project. Integrated assessment of new
grid-impacting technologies. [Online]. Available: http://
www.gridtech.eu/

Biographies
Ettore Bompard is with the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy and Transport (EC JRC-IET).
Gianluca Fulli is with the EC JRC-IET.
Mircea Ardelean is with the EC JRC-IET.
Marcelo Masera is with the EC JRC-IET.
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