The expansion of wind and solar power in the EU underlines the critical need for so-called ‘clean’ flexibility in the electricity system, says the specialised think-tank Ember in a new report published on 30 April.
The authors of this report state that urgent action is needed to give priority to flexibility, in particular by developing battery storage, demand management and cross-border interconnection to ensure the transition away from fossil fuels.
In particular, battery storage and demand side flexibility are seen as untapped or even neglected solutions.
However, the Ember report estimates that by 2030, the EU’s need for flexibility will double as a result of the boom in renewable energies.
In addition, the authors regret that the national energy-climate plans do not include explicit objectives for storage and demand side flexibility.
They also point out that signs of insufficient flexibility are already appearing. In some EU countries, negative prices and high curtailment of peak summer solar power in certain EU countries discourage further investment in solar power.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/c45 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)