Europe News

Latest news and developments from Europe

• UK and India jointly launch Green Grids Initiative at COP26 [free access]

  November 2, 2021
  The UK and India have launched the Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG) at the 2021 Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

• UK’s National Grid launches programme to create Virtual Energy System

  November 2, 2021
  The UK’s National Grid has launched a programme to build a Virtual Energy System (VES), creating a digital replica of Great Britain’s energy landscape.

• TenneT’s tech-innovation to accelerate offshore grid expansion in Germany

  November 2, 2021
  Dutch-German transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT has introduced a technological concept, which can boost offshore grid expansion for wind power in Germany.

• UK’s Ofgem selects ETEPCO as preferred bidder for Triton Knoll OFTO

  November 1, 2021
  The UK’s energy regulator Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has selected ETEPCO, a consortium of Equitix Limited and TEPCO Power Grid, as the preferred bidder for the Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) for the 857 MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farm.

• UK’s National Grid to hold consultations on Yorkshire GREEN Project

  October 28, 2021
  The UK’s National Grid will carry out public consultations from October 28, 2021 to December 9, 2021 for its detailed plans for the Yorkshire Green Energy Enablement (GREEN) Project.

• Bulgaria’s IBEX completes day-ahead market coupling with Romania

  October 28, 2021
  Bulgaria's Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX) has completed its day-ahead electricity exchange market coupling with its counterpart in Romania.

• Ukraine to resume electricity import from Belarus

  October 28, 2021
  Ukraine will resume the import of power from Belarus from November 1, 2021, citing limited coal reserves at its thermal power plants.

• National Grid announces expansion of grid enhancing technology

  October 27, 2021
  The UK’s National Grid is planning to scale up the use of power flow control technology (SmartValve) to add an extra 500 MW of capacity in 2022, by installing additional devices and scaling up its initial deployments near Harker and Penwortham to deliver more renewable power to its customers.

• Pivot Power activates 50 MW ESS in UK’s Kemsley substation

  October 26, 2021
  Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, has activated a 50 MW energy storage system (ESS) at Kemsley substation in South England, which is directly connected to National Grid’s high-voltage transmission network.

• Amprion proposes reduction in approval procedures for German Corridor B grid project

  October 26, 2021
  Amprion, one of four transmission system operators (TSOs) in Germany, has made two proposals for reducing the time taken in planning and approval procedures for projects.

• ENTSO-E Expert Panel investigates French-Spanish interconnection outage

  October 26, 2021
  The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the relevant National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) have joined the Expert Panel formed by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) for investigating the 30-minute disconnection of the transmission systems of Portugal, Spain and France from the European grid on July 24, 2021.

• Swedish government plans to direct TSO SvK to connect offshore wind

  October 26, 2021
  In a bid to fulfill its goals for renewable electricity production, the Swedish government has instructed the country’s transmission system operator (TSO) Svenska Kraftnat (SvK) to expand its transmission network to the country’s territorial waters for connecting offshore wind power facilities.

• Estonian and Latvian TSOs select BLIX Consultancy for offshore grid feasibility study

  October 26, 2021
  Estonia’s transmission system operator (TSO) Elering AS and Latvia’s TSO Augstspriegumatīkls (AST), have selected BLIX Consultancy for an offshore grid feasibility study.

• North Macedonian competition authority approves acquisition of Croatian Dalekovod

  October 26, 2021
  The Competition Authority of North Macedonia has given its approval to the joint acquisition of Croatian power transmission equipment manufacturer Dalekovod by NaprednaEnergetskaRjesenja, a joint venture (JV) company of Croatian electrical equipment manufacturer KoncarElektroindustrija and Construction Line Limited.

• Finnish and Swedish TSOs seek CEF funding for Aurora interconnector

  October 26, 2021
  Finland’s transmission system operator (TSO) Fingrid with its Swedish counterpart Svenska Kraftnat (SVK) have sought Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) co-funding to build the 400 kV Aurora cross-border transmission line from Pyhanselka to the southeast of Oulu in Finland to Messaure in Northern Sweden.

• German-UK NeuConnect interconnector receives approval for preparatory construction measures

  October 25, 2021
  The 525 kV NeuConnect interconnector between Germany and the UK has received approval for preparatory construction measures on a converter station in northern Germany.

• Romanian Transelectrica to estimate grid capacity for renewable energy regularly

  October 22, 2021
  Under a regulation framed by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), Romanian power grid operator Transelectrica will have to determine the quantum of green energy that can be absorbed by its grid.

• UK postpones decision deadline for AQUIND Interconnector with France

  October 21, 2021
  The UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has postponed the decision deadline for the AQUIND Interconnector project with France to January 21, 2022.

• Offshore substation installed for Ørsted’sHornsea Two offshore wind farm

  October 21, 2021
  In a major development for Danish developer Ørsted’s 1,368 MW Hornsea Two offshore wind farm in the UK, the installation ofthe offshore substation (OSS) alongside the project’s 165 wind turbine foundations has been completed.

• CRP Subsea and Hellenic Cables complete dynamic cable testing of EU-funded pilot

  October 21, 2021
  The UK-based CRP Subsea and Greek cable manufacturer Hellenic Cables have completed dynamic cable testing as part of the EU-funded MaRINET2 research programme.