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GEIDCO Members NO.10 2020 / 12

and less predictable power generation sites; and
the need to significantly upgrade and expand grid
capacity to accommodate the rapid growth in demand.
In order to manage fluctuating electricity
production and new consumption patterns, our
energy system needs to become more flexible and
new tools are required to deliver this. Innovative grid
components using power electronics will provide
the operational flexibility needed to enable grids to
become more efficient. Sensors will provide the
necessary information and digital solutions will
process the huge amount of information in intelligent
grid control centers. This will enable faster decision
making in a much more dynamic environment than
we have ever seen in the past.
The second challenge, expanding grid
capacity, can be tackled in two ways: optimizing
the utilization of current networks and upgrading
and extending power systems. Here, we can rely that, up to now, have rarely been taken into account
on clever combinations of power electronics and digital in grid expansion planning.
technologies to optimize copper and iron efficiencies
on existing power grids. A recent example of this can Flexibility, storage and the role of
be seen in Scotland, where a new HVDC link is complementary energy carriers
being added to connect the Shetland Islands to the UK The journey towards a carbon-neutral energy 71
transmission system. The link will enhance security system is dependent upon future power systems that
of power supply and help to transmit wind power are extremely flexible. They will need to cope with
generated on the islands, contributing to the UK’s increased complexity, brought about by the need
decarbonization target of bringing all greenhouse gas to integrate bulk and distributed variable power
emissions to net zero by 2050. generated from renewable sources.
Grid capacity will need to cope with more than Whenever grid flexibility is required, the first and
twice the electrical energy of today. This includes most proven technical solution is grid expansion and
the expansion of high-voltage networks and interconnection. Once this reaches its limit, energy
interconnections across regions, linking renewable storage starts to play an important role on the pathway
energy generated in remote places, such as wind towards a carbon-neutral energy system. Battery
farms located kilometers offshore, to the grid. In the storage for electricity has already made impressive
future, one could even imagine the ability to harvest strides over the past years. With the rise of variable
the Arctic winds. renewable power production comes a greater need
From a demand-side perspective, this huge for short-term electricity storage to ensure reliability
expansion will enable electrification to significantly of the power system. Battery technology is on its way
rise in areas that have so far been low load regions – to becoming the dominant solution for meeting short-
away from densely populated cities where demand term needs. It offers the highest flexibility and the
is high. For example, through electrification it will most attractive cost-benefit ratio.
become easier to locate a growing number of data The buffers used in today’s energy system to deal
centers in secluded areas. And we can expect to with the variations of electricity production are, next
see more industrial sites, such as steel plants and to renewable hydro-electric power, mainly fossil-
mining operations, turn to electrification in a move based energy carriers such as oil, gas and coal. These
to convert away from carbon-intensive processes types of emission-intensive elements of the energy
whilst simultaneously, increasing efficiency. system will need to be phased out in a carbon-
Over the next thirty years, we are likely to see neutral world fit for the future.
power systems also growing into geographical areas Where direct electrification is not possible or

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