Europe News

Latest news and developments from Europe

• ACER-CEER welcomes EC’s TEN-E proposals; highlights scope for further improvement

  December 16, 2020
  The European Union (EU) Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), the voice of Europe’s national regulatory authorities (NRAs), have welcomed the European Commission’s (EC) efforts to modernise the current Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) with a new focus on sustainability in the EC’s revised TEN-E proposals.

• Kosovo becomes independent of Serbia’s power grid

  December 15, 2020
  Kosovo’s transmission system operator (TSO) KOSTT has started to operate independently from the Serbian regulatory area in the Serbia, Montenegro and Northern Macaedonia Control Block (or SMM Control Block), starting from December 14, 2020.

• French Engie to supply frequency regulation services to Italy's Terna

  December 14, 2020
  The storage and electric mobility subsidiary of French energy group Engie, Engie EPS, and Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have been awarded a contract to provide 70 MW of ultra-fast frequency regulation services for the stabilisation of the grid by Italian transmission system operator (TSO) Terna.

• German E.ON and Amprion to cooperate closely on energy system transformation

  December 14, 2020
  German transmission system operator (TSO) Amprion and largest distribution system operator (DSO) E.ON have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen their cooperation for the fundamental transformation of the energy system.

• Bulgaria and North Macedonia to integrate day-ahead electricity markets by 2022

  December 10, 2020
  Bulgaria's electricity system operator, Elektroenergien Sistemen Operator EAD (ESO), and the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with North Macedonia's electricity transmission system operator (AD MEPSO) and National Electricity Market Operator (MEMO), for integrating the two countries' day-ahead electricity markets by 2022.

• Registered capital of Slovakia’s SEPS to increase by EUR130 million

  December 9, 2020
  Slovakia’s Finance Ministry, as the sole shareholder of the country’s electricity transmission system operator (TSO) Slovenska Elektrizacna Prenosova Sustava a.s. (SEPS), is set to increase the registered capital of the company by EUR130 million.

• British energy regulator ramps up RIIO-2 funding to GBP40 billion [free access]

  December 8, 2020
  The British energy regulator, Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), has finalised the RIIO-2 (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs) price control for 2021-26, channelling more than GBP40 billion of investment into the national electricity grid and infrastructure.

• Finland’s TSO awards 400 kV Kärppiö substation to local Empower PN

  December 8, 2020
  Finland’s transmission system operator (TSO) Fingid Oyj and local Empower PN Oy have signed a contract valued at approximately EUR14 million, for the implementation of the 400/110 kV Kärppiö substation.

• UK’s Carbon Trust launches offshore integration industry programme

  December 3, 2020
  The UK’s Carbon Trust has launched a joint industry programme focused on integrating offshore wind into the power system with industry partners that include Norwegian energy company Equinor and Swedish Vattenfall.

• EIB grants CZK5 billion loan to CEPS for network upgrade in Czech Republic

  December 2, 2020
  The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a CZK5 billion loan agreement with CEPS AS, the Czech Republic's transmission system operator (TSO), to bolster the electricity transmission infrastructure in the country, which in turn will facilitate the integration of renewables.

• Lithuanian TSO completes reconstruction of 330 kV Elektrine–Vilniu line

  December 2, 2020
  Lithuania's electricity transmission system operator (TSO), Litgrid, through local construction company, A. Žilinskio ir Ko, has completed the reconstruction of the 330 kV, 41-km-long line from the Lietuvos Elektrine power plant in Elektrenai to Vilnius.

• Lithuania proposes revised methodology for Baltics’ boycott of Belarus’ electricity

  December 1, 2020
  Lithuania's electricity transmission system operator (TSO), Litgrid, has sent a revised draft methodology to Latvian and Estonian operators, which will hinder the trade of Belarusian electricity to be generated by the Belarusian Astravyets nuclear power plant (NPP) and increase the electricity import from Russia.

• Estonian TSO signs agreement for renewal of 330 kV Narva–Tartu line [free access]

  December 1, 2020
  Estonia's electricity and gas transmission system operator (TSO) Elering has signed an agreement with the Finnish implementer of zero-emission energy solutions—Enersense International's local subsidiary Empower—for rebuilding the 133-km, 330 kV Narva–Tartu transmission line in Estonia.

• Danish NKT wins service deals with Elia, 50Hertz and Nemo Link

  November 26, 2020
  Danish cable company NKT has signed a long-term service agreement covering the maintenance and repair of export and interconnector cables supplying power to Belgium, the UK and Germany.

• Latvia’s TSO AST completes acquisition of LET

  November 26, 2020
  A restructuring process, in which Latvijas Elektriskie Tikli (LET; a company that provides monitoring and management of Latvian power transmission network assets) was unbundled from the state-owned energy company Latvenergo and merged with the Latvian transmission system operator (TSO) Augstsprieguma Tikls (AST), has been completed.

• Germany’s EnBW opens array cable package for 900 MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm

  November 25, 2020
  Germany-based power generation company, Energie Baden-Wurttemberg AG (EnBW), has opened a call for companies interested in providing the array cables work package for the 900 MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.

• UK launches SHARC project for subsea cable monitoring [free access]

  November 24, 2020
  The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is leading the Submarine High-fidelity Active-monitoring of Renewable energy Cables (SHARC) project to improve the operational efficiency of offshore renewable energy generation, by addressing the failure management of submarine cables.

• UK’s SSEN Transmission awards GBP47.5 million substation contract to Balfour Beatty

  November 20, 2020
  British multinational infrastructure company Balfour Beatty has been awarded a GBP47.5 million contract to design and build a new 400 kV substation in Peterhead, by SSE Networks Transmission (SSEN Transmission)—the transmission business of the Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) company.

• EC new strategy on offshore renewable energy targets 300 GW by 2050

  November 19, 2020
  The European Commission (EC) has presented the Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy to help meet the European Union’s (EU) goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

• UK’s energy companies begin planning Eastern HVDC Link [free access]

  November 18, 2020
  Three of the UK’s biggest energy companies are planning to build the Eastern Link project, which will comprise two 2 GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables from the east coast of Scotland to two points in the north-east of England—Selby and Hawthorn Point.