Extra coordination wanted in renewable deployment to forestall grid congestion in Europe: Report – Uplaza

Continued deployment of distributed renewable technology in areas with plentiful wind and photo voltaic potential is a key driver for Europe’s clear power transition. Nevertheless, it must be accompanied by satisfactory consideration for the capability of the transmission grid infrastructure to keep away from additional grid congestion, in accordance with a brand new examine.

By investigating totally different grid growth eventualities, researchers have discovered that with out swift motion, redispatch volumes might improve nearly six-fold by 2040, in an enormous grid growth (XGE) state of affairs wherein the entire grid size in Europe would improve by greater than a 3rd.

What’s redispatch?

Redispatch is a vital mechanism utilized by electrical energy grid operators to make sure the soundness and steadiness of the ability system.

When transmission community constraints come up between energy crops and demand facilities, redispatch makes changes to the output of energy crops after the wholesale electrical energy market clearance.

This course of helps forestall transmission line overloads and subsequent energy outages, guaranteeing dependable and environment friendly electrical energy supply, by compensating for extra technology in areas with inadequate power whereas lowering injection into the grid in areas with extra technology.

Nevertheless, European laws considers redispatch as a brief measure solely, if congestion will get alleviated within the foreseeable future, for instance by extra investments into the grid. Market zones experiencing recurrent redispatch ought to be cut up into a number of areas, facilitating higher exchanges between areas plentiful in renewables and demand facilities.

Totally different eventualities, related end result

The examine investigates three grid growth eventualities for the goal years 2030 and 2040, specializing in how international locations reinforce their nationwide grids.

Two out of the three eventualities undertaking a redispatch quantity in 2040 akin to the present electrical energy consumption in international locations like France or Germany.

The prices related to these measures might vary from EUR 11 billion in 2030 to 34 billion EUR in 2040, assuming a high-level of grid growth. In a business-as-usual state of affairs, prices might escalate from EUR 26 billion in 2030 to a staggering EUR 103 billion in 2040.

Even within the excessive grid growth state of affairs, the place the entire circuit size in Europe will increase by greater than a 3rd, the redispatch quantity would nonetheless surge almost six-fold.

Grid congestion

Due to grid bottlenecks, a considerable quantity of renewable electrical energy is liable to being wasted. The state of affairs in 2040 foresees that as much as 310 TWh of renewable power could possibly be curtailed due to grid congestion, which equals half the electrical energy manufacturing from wind and photo voltaic within the EU in 2022 (in accordance with EUROSTAT knowledge).

Compounding the difficulty, the deployment of electrolyzers for hydrogen manufacturing might additional exacerbate grid congestion. The elevated demand from electrolyzers might focus in areas which might be already experiencing congestion, intensifying the necessity for redispatch by no less than 78 TWh in 2040 in a business-as-usual state of affairs primarily based on a conservative estimation.

Mitigation methods and collaboration

Coverage devices aimed toward mobilizing funding, resembling renewable auctions and capability markets, might be improved by including a locational element to mirror the native grid circumstances.

This strategy encourages the deployment of renewable power and hydrogen manufacturing in areas much less prone to exacerbate congestion.

The implementation of bidding zone splits that show to reinforce market outcomes, is advisable to ascertain higher incentives for environment friendly operation. The examine additional emphasizes the significance of analyzing the prices and advantages of locational marginal pricing at a excessive granularity in a climate-neutral energy system.

Collaboration and coordination amongst varied stakeholders, together with policymakers, grid operators, power producers, and customers, might be important in constructing a resilient and environment friendly energy system for the long run.

Supplied by
European Fee, Joint Analysis Centre (JRC)