The CEO of Litgrid AB, Daivis Virbickas, is part of the new European Commission’s experts group on electrical interconnection targets and in this interview he explains his vision on the future of the power sector, the investments required and about finding a pragmatic and sustainable model for financing the interconnection projects. Cristina Dascălu (CD): What is your vision for the future of our European energy system? Daivis Virbickas (DV): European power consumption statistics and trends show that energy demand will continue growing, and electricity will remain the most convenient type of energy. Solutions that increase the level of comfort for businesses and households will increase the electricity demand, although at the same time, the consumption will become more effective. Due to innovations, consumers will increasingly produce electricity for their households, however, the demand to ensure power system stability will remain, and the tools for system balancing will grow ever more sophisticated. CD: What challenges and opportunities in the power sector can we expect in the future? DV: The major challenge for the system operators will be ensuring system stability and security of supply, whilst at the same time, the share of renewable sources will continue to grow in the generation mix. It is of crucial importance to ensure the balance within the generation, within a power system provided by renewables, and by the traditional resources enabling flexible generation. If this balance is not observed, the stability of the systems will be at risk. CD: Where is the biggest innovation potential for electrical interconnectors? DV: As far as the transmission grid is concerned, the high voltage technology is determined by [...]
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