European plan
European plan
In accordance with the Clean Energy for all Europeans’ Package, and more specifically to the Regulation on the internal market for electricity (EU) 2019/943, of 5 June, 2019 repealing Regulation (EC) 714/2009, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) prepares and drafts, every two years, a ten-year non-binding network development plan (TYNDP) that describes the expected evolution of the European electricity system over the period.
In May 2023, ENTSO-E published its latest ten-year plan which comprises, among others, an executive report of main findings and a system needs identification report showing what the system should look like in 2030 and 2040 to create maximum value for Europeans.
The identification of needs in the European electricity system points to opportunities for improvement across Europe. It identifies 88 GW of additional interconnections between countries that would be economically profitable for the European system (a 75% increase over the 2025 grid). Among these increases are an additional 4500 MW of capacity on the Spain-France border over the Bay of Biscay project and an additional 1000 MW of capacity on the Spain-Portugal border over the Northern Interconnection project. An additional 41 GW of storage is identified in addition to that considered in the scenarios, with a significant volume in Spain and 3 GW of emission-free peaking units in 4 countries in Eastern Europe.
Finding solutions to these needs would significantly reduce Europe's gas dependence in electricity production, integrate more energy from renewable sources and lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions:
| 88 GW (75% of the 2025 grid) | Capacity increases after 2025 |
| 42 TWh/year | Discharges avoided |
| 75 TWh/year | Reduction of gas-based generation |
| 31 Mton/year | Reduction of CO2 emissions |
| 9 billion euros per year | Savings in generation costs |
Furthermore, it also includes the evaluation (cost-benefit analysis) of 141 transport projects of European relevance and 23 storage projects. Among the benefits provided by all the projects considered in this European planning, the following aspects stand out:
In the case of the Spanish electricity system, 4 interconnection projects (three interconnections with France and one with Portugal) and 6 storage projects have been assessed.
Details of each project can be found on the interactive map published by ENTSO-E.
This project evaluation information is the basis for the selection of the European Commission's Projects of Common Interest.
The ten-year network development plan for 2024 is currently being drawn up. This plan has an associated scenario report that is published together with the TYNDP which identifies the needs of the transmission grid and the electricity system in the long term (2040), the regional investment plans (Spain forms part of the Southwest Europe region together with Portugal and France) The Ten-Year Network Development Plan document includes a cost-benefit assessment of all projects classified as relevant European projects of common interest. More information on the ENTSOE website.