The conclusions of the EU Energy Summit on the 4th February explicitly recognise the need to build new electricity infrastructure in the EU to reach the 2020 goals in terms of energy efficiency, emissions reductions, increase of RES use, creation of a single electricity market and security of supply.

However, Friends of the Supergrid CEO Ana Aguado Cornago challenged the conclusions: “The lack of an explicit reference to the European Supergrid is very disappointing because without it these objectives will not be reached. EU Heads of Government have missed an opportunity to explicitly support a unique and new project for this century that will create wealth and help with further market integration in the EU.”

The willingness of European Heads of State to progressively decarbonise the EU economy by 2050 has recently been positively supported by concrete initiatives such as the North Seas Offshore Grid Initiative and the European Commission Communication on Infrastructure. Moreover, UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent comments supporting plans for a European Supergrid starting in the North Sea have reinforced this general objective of decarbonising EU’s economy by 2050 with visible foundations.

The FOSG Phase 1 Supergrid proposal sees the UK and Norway linked to the continent by 2020 to enable the trading of renewable electricity between European markets, and is an integral part of creating a liberal, decarbonised EU power sector by 2030.