The first day of the informal meeting of European energy ministers on the development and resilience of electricity networks, held in Brussels on Monday 15 April, provided an opportunity to discuss in greater detail issues relating to the security of energy infrastructures, support for Ukraine and cooperation with NATO, as well as the financing of these networks.
On her arrival at the Egmont Palace, the Belgian Federal Minister for Energy, Tinne van der Straeten, pointed out that electricity networks were a priority of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU (see EUROPE 13390/3) in order to exploit the potential of the EU’s maritime basins.
“We need networks so that electricity can flow freely, not only to the countries bordering these seas, but also inland, to give all 27 Member States access to offshore energy, which will have a beneficial effect on competition, lower prices and reduce CO2 emissions”, she explained.
Integrated and coordinated European network
The first discussion session was devoted to the integration of the European electricity network, so that it is better adapted to the expansion of renewable energies, but also to better coordination on a European scale, as Ossian Smyth, Minister of State at the Irish Department of the Environment and Climate, pointed out.
“To escape dependence on fossil fuels from Russia and the Middle East, we need to ensure that our renewables work together, which means that when we plan our network, we don’t just think about our national interests or our bilateral interests, but we plan an electricity grid for the whole continent”, he summarised.
Security of energy infrastructures
Geopolitical tensions were an integral part of the discussions, as was collaboration with NATO to help protect the energy system in the future.
On the same day, oil and gas prices surged following the Iranian attack on Israel on Saturday 13 April. In previous weeks, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had been targeted by unprecedented Russian attacks.
In addition to the EU27 energy ministers, the Belgian Presidency invited its NATO partners, the ministers from Liechtenstein, Iceland and Sweden, as well as the Moldovan and Ukrainian ministers to join the discussions.
In particular, they discussed the importance of cooperation to protect against physical threats to energy infrastructures and to strengthen cyber security.
A new item on the agenda was specifically added to discuss with the Ukrainian Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, the damage caused by the Russian army to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a discussion welcomed by the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson.
“For my part, I will be calling on our Member States and partners to allocate additional funds today so that we can support Ukraine and help it to rebuild what has been destroyed”, she said.
Investment of €3.5 billion
While the lunchtime session was devoted specifically to the resilience of the energy system, the afternoon session aimed to discuss financing and measures to minimise the risk of investment in cross-border energy infrastructure.
“This is a multi-billion euro challenge, but it is necessary and essential for the transition to clean energy”, said Commissioner Simson.
According to the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council, the investment needed to expand cross-border electricity infrastructure should reach €3.5 billion per year over the period 2025-2040. In addition to electricity networks, the ministers will have to look into the future development of a cross-border network for hydrogen and various low-carbon gases.
On the fringes of this first day of meetings, the ministers also signed a charter to support the solar energy sector (see other news).
At the end of the informal meeting, the Presidency will draw up EU Council conclusions on electricity infrastructures. These will then be presented for adoption at the next ‘Energy’ Council, to be held in Brussels on Thursday 30 May 2024. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)