11

April - 2024

Brussels & online

Organised within the framework of the PAC project, the workshop brought together more than 20 experts to discuss decarbonisation pathways and related infrastructure modelling results in the context of the EU's 2040 climate target.

Addressing the urgent global climate and energy crisis has become a paramount objective for UN signatory countries, as underscored by the resolutions of COP 28, which outline tripling global renewables and doubling energy efficiency targets by 2030. To support these goals and align with the Paris Agreement, energy system modelling is a key tool to inform decision-making processes and infrastructure planning.

In this context, the Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) Scenario explores how significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to achieving climate neutrality by 2040 can be realised, while modelling the energy infrastructure needed for a sustainable energy transition.

In February 2024, the European Commission introduced its assessment for the EU 2040 climate target. Given the ongoing discussions surrounding this assessment, alongside the EU Action Plan for Grids, the forthcoming 2026 Ten Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) cycle, and the upcoming European elections, fostering knowledge exchange among experts in energy system modelling and planning is paramount.

Under the umbrella of the Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) Scenario project, RGI continues its Modellers’ Exchange Workshop series to foster discussions between experts in energy system modelling and planning. On 11 April, energy modelling experts convened to discuss their work related to the implications of the EU’s 2040 climate target on infrastructure development in Europe.

The sessions focused on how different tools assess the trajectory for setting climate targets and how the energy infrastructure can support achieving these goals. The outcomes of the discussions will feed into expert debates related to the TYNDP process and to the proposal of the 2040 target to be included in the European Climate Law.

Participant organisations

Artelys
CAN Europe
Carbon Free Europe
Climact
European Environmental Bureau
Elia Group
Ember
ENTSO-E
European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change
European Commission (DG ENER)
Eurelectric
Hitachi Energy
NégaWatt
RGI
SolarPower Europe
Sorbonne University
Transport & Environment
TransnetBW

Agenda

09:30 – 10:00	Registration and Coffee
10:00 – 10:15	Welcome, Agenda and the Workshop’s Objectives (RGI)
*Session 1: Different Pathways to 1.5 Degrees*
10:15 – 10:35	How do EU get there? The policy landscape for achieving the EU's 2040 climate targets Cosimo TANSINI (EEB)
10:35 – 10:55	Exploring Different Decarbonisation Scenarios to Shape the 2040 Target Lena KITZING (ESABCC)
10:55 – 11:15	Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) Scenario 2.0 and its 2040 Transformative Vision for the 1.5C Joni KARJALAINEN (CAN Europe)
11:55 – 11:45	Discussion
11:45 – 12:00	Coffee Break
*Session 2: Modelling European Infrastructure Needs by 2040 – Different Modellers’ Perspectives*
12:00 – 12:20	Infrastructural modelling for a 100% renewable energy system (RES) system: diving into the details Dimitri KRINGS (Climact)
12:20 – 12:40	Practical Aspects of Incorporating the PAC Scenario into Modelling Processes Alexandre OUDALOV (Hitachi Energy)
12:40 – 13:00	Decarbonisation Speedways for EU’s Energy Sector Abi Afthab OLIKATHODI (Eurelectric)
13:00 – 13:30	Discussion
13:30 – 14:30	Lunch Break
*Session 3: Energy Models Framing the Future*
14:30 – 14:50	The METIS Model – Description and Role in Recent Policy Initiatives Mathias BERGER (Artelys)
14:50 - 15:10	TYNDP 2024 Scenario Building - Modelling Requirements for Net-Zero in 2050 Laura LOPEZ (ENTSO-E)
15:10 – 15:30	EU power system scenarios 2030-2040: focus on solar PV and flexibility solutions Raffaele ROSSI (SolarPower Europe)
15:30 – 16:00	Discussion
16:00 – 16:20	Wrap-up and Final Remarks (RGI)