Future European electricity highways: A comparative pan-European and GB transmission system perspective

European energy policy seeks to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources and create a pan-European competitive electricity market. Europe is currently in the process of preparing a top-down methodology to support the planning of a future pan-European power system that includes prioritised electricity highways or corridors that have the capability to address European and national energy targets, climate change policies and market requirements for a range of time horizons between 2020 and 2050. The UK is also committed to sourcing 15% of all energy from renewable resources by 2020 in order to achieve an 80-95% reduction of green house gas emissions by 2050. In order to achieve these objectives, a pan-European power system is required to facilitate the future transport of renewable energy sources over long distances to the load centres via Electricity Highway Systems. In this case, it is essential to identify appropriate scenarios considering all relevant technical, financial and socio-political aspects. Simultaneously, transmission system owners and operators must be provided with appropriate regulatory frameworks in order to overcome future challenges; therefore, efficient use of existing transmission networks and future investment planning should be taken into consideration when aiming to build a future pan-European power system.