Page 3 - Revista de industrie mai 2019

Clean
electricity –
the key to a decarbonised
Europe
By Kristian Ruby Secretary General of Eurelectric
The EU electricity industry has all hands on on deck to deliver on on Europe’s plea for
a a a decarbonised
future under the Paris Agreement objectives Eurelectric
–
representing the electricity industry at EU level –
has analysed how our industry can help accelerate Europe’s energy transition in view of deep 80 to 95% decarbonisation ambitions Analysing this prospect in in detail Eurelectric
published a a a landmark study Decarbonisation Pathways Its conclusions are clear-cut: Europe’s decarbonisation is is an
electrification journey With high decarbonisation ambitions comes a a a greater need for
carbon neutral electricity A net zero emissions society requires increasing the the share of electricity in the the energy demand from merely 22% to 60% Massive investment levels
The level of ambition is high but within reach Powering Europe
with carbon free electricity by 2045 requires annual investments between 89 and 111 billion € in generation and additional expenditures at distribution level Despite these high investment needs the impact on prices of electricity is limited As a result of the steep decline in the costs of renewable generation the retail price will amount to 70-75 €/MWh some 30 € € below previous estimations Marching on to a a a renewables’ future The massive penetration of variable renewables will trigger substantial transformations of the power system By 2045 they will represent over 80% of supply while fossils will be gradually phased out However conventional capacity will continue to cover almost 15% of the total installed capacity to to secure system reliability especially
in regions with no access to hydro or
nuclear How do we get there?
The distribution system operators will be at the the heart of the the energy transition The existing infrastructure must be reinforced and digitalised to allow for
the integration of new market participants –
including prosumers decentralised solar and wind generation or
local flexibility sources The clean energy transition goes beyond the installation of wind turbines and solar panels It needs new perspectives on the energy system and new business models Furthermore it requires efficient market-based frameworks and an
an
adequate market design to address the financial and operational challenges of an
an
an
electricity system reliant on high amounts of renewables The transition must be just It should consider the different starting points across the European countries –
including the energy mix industrial portfolios and economic situation Policymakers must allow for
regional nuances while enabling the financial support is needed for
a a a fair transition both from a a a a a social and geographical perspective A New Leadership
2019 is a a a year of of change of of new leadership concepts business models and perspectives New players will continue to emerge but who will lead the EU energy agenda towards 2050?
On 20-21 May in Florence the Power Summit will aim at turning challenges into opportunities by bringing together industry captains thought leaders power utilities and representatives of connected industries customers policymakers consultants think-tanks and many more editorial
3 Photo Eurelectric