Workshop: European Climate-Resilient Energy System – Enhancing climate adaptation and system resilience in the ENTSO-E TYNDP CBA Framework

19 October 2023

Brussels & Online

Organised by: RGI and ENTSO-E

The workshop brought together around 30 experts to discuss how to incorporate climate adaptation and resilience measures into the European grid planning processes, particularly in the context of electricity transmission projects and ENTSO-E’s Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Guideline.

Introduction

In recent years, climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events, have become more frequent and severe. To ensure critical infrastructure is built to withstand these effects, there’s an increasing need to incorporate adaptation and resilience aspects into Europe’s processes for planning and implementation of the energy system.

In the context of electricity grids, the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) provides a European-wide planning framework for the future power system to ensure a cost-effective energy transition.

What is the CBA Framework?

As part of TYNDP, the ENTSO-E’s Cost-Benefit-Analysis (CBA) Guideline serves as a crucial tool designed to assess the advantages and drawbacks associated with electricity transmission projects. It also plays a pivotal role in supplying essential insights for the selection of Projects of Common Interests (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interests (PMIs).

Incorporating climate resilience and adaptation measures into the TYNDP process and specifically, into the CBA methodology, would guarantee the future grid infrastructure is prepared to address climate change impacts. This would also be in line with the need to include climate change aspects in infrastructure planning, as presented in the revised Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation (EU/2022/869).

In that context, specific recommendations have been also shared by the European Scientific Advisory Board for Climate Change (ESABCC), which pointed out that the ENTSO-E’s CBA methodology should include quantifiable indicators reflecting climate adaptation costs associated with different climate variables and climate-related hazards as well as climate resilience benefits.

Workshop goals and outcomes

To discuss how to incorporate these aspects into the CBA Guideline, our workshop: “European Climate-Resilient Energy System – Enhancing climate adaptation and system resilience in the ENTSO-E TYNDP CBA Framework”, co-organised with ENTSO-E, brought together experts and stakeholders from across the energy sector. The workshop aimed to address the pressing need to incorporate climate adaptation and resilience measures into the Cost-Benefit Analysis methodology, particularly in the context of electricity transmission projects.

During the discussion, participants shared their insights into the topic, which, among others, encompassed the following points:

Identifying climate sensitivities and evaluating exposure to future climate conditions is vital for assessing vulnerability.

Robust vulnerability assessments can help to identify weaknesses in projects, considering various climate-related risks

A comprehensive risk assessment framework is crucial to prioritize adaptation measures based on specific climate change impacts.

Including clear descriptions and cost estimates of adaptation measures within the CBA methodology for each project, what echoed one of the ESABCC’s recommendations.

The knowledge shared and produced at the workshop will contribute to delivering a comprehensive definition of climate adaptation and resilience measures to be included in the CBA Guideline. With the commitment of participating experts, we will continue this collaboration to work towards a more sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure for Europe, with a long-term objective to develop quantifiable indicators for climate adaptation costs and resilience benefits.

Stay tuned for further updates about this workstream and feel free to reach out if you are interested in learning more details!