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Expert Exchange Workshop: Flexing EU’s pathway to net-zero

In the frame of the Paris Agreement Compatible Scenario project (PAC), the workshop brought together more than 35 experts to discuss the role of flexibility, including electricity interconnectors, demand response and storage, in achieving the EU 2030 climate and energy targets and contributing to the pathway towards 2040.

The energy landscape in the European Union and globally is rapidly evolving, characterised by the increasing penetration of variable renewable energy sources (RES). This transition presents new challenges and opportunities for grid operators and energy systems at large, particularly in ensuring system flexibility to efficiently integrate variable generation and accommodate fluctuating demand.

Pursuing the binding target of at least 42,5% renewable energy in the gross final energy consumption across the EU by 2030 and the need to massively electrify end-use sectors will exacerbate these dynamics. Flexibility in power systems is key for managing operations and balancing supply and demand during normal conditions and times of high disturbances, supporting the security of supply.

Projections estimate that flexibility needs to double by 2030. On that front, the revised Electricity Regulation envisages a framework to assess the different types of flexibility needs, including seasonal, daily and hourly, every two years and for a timeframe of 5 to 10 years. The imperative that lies ahead is to expand and upgrade the electricity grid infrastructure and switch to decarbonised flexibility solutions at a pace that keeps up with the renewable generation.

Building on RGI’s Expert Exchange Workshop series, experts from across the value chain of the energy system, including policymakers, NGOs and academia, explored strategies, technologies, modelling approaches and policies that have the potential to unlock flexibility and lead to system optimisation. The outcomes of the discussions will inform the upcoming flexibility assessments and the EU's Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) process as well as provide insights into the resource adequacy exercises.  

Related activities

Participant organisations

  • Artelys
  • Bellona
  • Climate Action Network (CAN) EU
  • Centre for Net Zero
  • Coreso
  • EMBER
  • ENTSO-E
  • EU DSO Entity
  • Eurelectric 
  • European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE)
  • European Commission
  • European Distribution System Operators (E.DSO)
  • European Environmental Angency
  • European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
  • Frontier Economics
  • German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  • Hitachi Energy
  • Join Research Centre (JRC)
  • Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES)
  • Reiner Lemoine Institut (RLI)
  • RTE
  • SmartEn
  • SolarPower Europe 
  • TransnetBW

Agenda

09:30 – 10:00

Registration and coffee

10:00 – 10:15

Welcome, agenda and the workshop’s objectives (RGI)

Session 1: Assessing Flexibility Needs

10:15 – 10:35

Flexibility in the power system – a critical aspect to enable the energy transition
Samy Geronymos (ENTSO-E)

10:35 – 10:55

Guiding principles to develop an EU methodology to assess flexibility needs
Dr. Martin Roach (EASE)

10:55 – 11:15

Flexibility services – from flexibility needs to flexibility portfolios
Christopher Andrey (Artelys)

11:15 – 11:45

Discussion 

11:45 – 12:00

Coffee Break 

Session 2: Flexibility Potential – gaps and solutions

12:00 – 12:20

Overview of clean flexibility in the EU
Harriet Fox (Ember)

12:20 – 12:40

Demand-side flexibility: potential, gaps and solutions
Marion Malafosse (SmartEn)

12:40 – 13:00

Future power transmission: visions, technologies and challenges
Dr. Matthias Kahl (TransnetBW)

13:00– 13:30

Discussion 

13:30 – 14:30

Lunch Break

Session 3: Flexibility in Energy System Planning & Modelling

14:30 – 14:40

Paris Compatible Europe until 2040: leveraging flexibility in the field of energy scenarios and energy modelling
Joni Karjalainen(CAN Europe)

14:40 – 15:00

Flexibility requirements in EU power systems
Dr. Derck Koolen (European Commission)

15:00– 15:20

Modelling of flexibility in energy systems planning
Alexandre Oudalov (Hitachi Energy)

15:20 – 15:40

Bilan prévisionnel 2023 - French adequacy report
Marion Li & Lucie Meier (RTE)

15:40 – 16:10

Discussion 

16:10 – 16:20

Wrap-up and Final remarks (RGI)

Summary Report

All statements in this document have been summarised by the Renewables Grid Initiative, based on the common understanding of the discussions carried out during the workshop. The opinions expressed in this document are independent to the PAC project consortium and shall not be used to reflect the view of specific participants. You can access the expert presentations below.

Presentations

Samy Geronymos, ENTSO-E

Martin Roach, EASE

Christopher Andrey, Artelys

 

Harriet Fox, Ember

Marion Malafosse, SmartEn

 

Dr. Matthias Kahl, TransnetBW

 

Joni Karjalainen, CAN Europe

 

Dr. Derck Koolen, European Commission

Alexandre Oudalov, Hitachi Energy

 

Marion Li & Lucie Meier, RTE

Photos

Contact

Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
Director - Energy Systems

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t: +49 30 233211014
andrzej[at]renewables-grid.eu

Alexandros Fakas Kakouris
Senior Manager - Energy and Policy Systems

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t: +49 30 2332 11021
alexandros[at]renewables-grid.eu

Nathália Pimentel
Manager - Communication

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t: +49 30 2332 11035
nathalia[at]renewables-grid.eu

RGI gratefully acknowledges the EU LIFE funding support:

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the LIFE Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.