ENTSO-E releases Ten-Year Network Development 2012 package for public consultation

The ENTSO-E Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) 2012 package, released on the legal basis of Regulation (EC) 714/2009 for public consultation, identifies the need to invest €104 bn in the refurbishment or construction of roughly 51 500 km of extra high voltage power lines in Europe. More than 100 projects of European significance demonstrate how European TSOs plan the transmission infrastructure to support the fundamentals of EU energy policy – market integration, the integration of renewable energy sources and security of supply.

Comparing to the projects identified in ENTSO-E’s pilot TYNDP 2010, the report finds that one in three planned investments are experiencing delays in implementation due to long permitting processes. This is why ENTSO-E considers the Commission’s proposals on fast-tracking of transmission infrastructure projects in its draft Energy Infrastructure Package and in particular the proposal on a one-stop-shop and defined time lines for permit granting procedures as a most positive step forward.

The TYNDP 2012 studies find that 80% of the identified 100 bottlenecks are related to the direct or indirect integration of renewable energy sources (RES) such as wind and solar power. Such massive development of RES is the main driver behind larger, more volatile power flows, over longer distances across Europe.

The commissioning of projects of pan-European significance could result in CO2 savings of 170 MtCO2, of which 150 MtCO2 results from the connection of renewable generation technology and 20 MtCO2 which stem from savings due to further market integration.

Since producing the pilot TYNDP, ENTSO-E's aim has been to improve methodologies, enhance stakeholder interaction and adopt an approach to perform studies based on both bottom-up and top-down scenarios.

With the release of the TYNDP 2012 package, ENTSO-E launches a public consultation on the documents, allowing all interested parties to comment on the package. Stakeholders are reminded that all comments must be submitted via ENTSO-E’s dedicated web consultation interface by 26 April. A corresponding stakeholder workshop will be held on 28 March in Brussels.