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24.5.2002 16:00
Press Releases

Nordic Grid Master Plan discovered bottlenecks

The Nordic Grid Master Plan 2002 is complete. This is the first comprehensive grid plan drawn up by Nordel, the body for co-operation between the Nordic transmission system operators. The plan is one of Nordel's strategic projects used for developing its operations.​The Grid Master Plan is an important future tool for the development and operation of the Nordic grid. It aims to provide good conditions for the fluent functioning of the inter-Nordic electricity market.

The Grid Master Plan 2002 presents those locations of the grid where the strengthening of transmission capacity should be examined in more detail. The trend in energy balances indicates that the transmission needs should be soon examined over a long perspective, all the way to the year 2020. The further measures should include:

1. examining the need to open the bottlenecks of the grid from the viewpoint of national economy
2. analysing the power and energy situations in the coming years
3. investigating needs to strengthen the grid in the Nordic countries
4. drawing up of long-term grid development schemes and forecasts.

 
During the preparation of the Grid Master Plan, it became evident that the overall energy and power balance in the Nordic countries has turned to deficit. This means that the need to import electricity into the Nordel area has grown especially during dry years with little precipitation. Even during years with normal precipitation levels, Sweden and Norway show a deficit. This is due to increased electricity consumption and small capacity of new power plants. A number of old plants have also been closed down.
A strengthened energy balance requires an expansion of production capacity in the Nordel area. If nothing is done, this area will become increasingly dependent on the production resources in Continental Europe and Russia, and imports from these areas must be increased.

 
The transmission grids in all the Nordic countries are currently being strengthened. Transmission capacity has been increased in recent years by investing in new transmission facilities and by reinforcing the existing grids.
The Grid Master Plan can be found at Nordel's home pages at www.nordel.org.

 
Further information:
Pertti Kuronen, + 358 30 395 5127
Kurt Lindström, + 358 30 395 4170