【欧盟委员会能源总司DG_ENER】2024通过强化可再生电力、分布式资产和氢能的作用来促进能源系统整合研究报告_234页_3mb

Summary of the Study on Promoting Energy System Integration through Renewable Electricity, Decentralised Assets, and Hydrogen

Core Content

This study, commissioned by the European Commission, evaluates the progress of energy system integration in the EU and identifies barriers and recommendations for enhancing the integration of renewable electricity, decentralised assets, and hydrogen. It aligns with the EU Energy System Integration (ESI) Strategy, which aims to shape a new integrated energy system through concrete policy and legislative measures. The report highlights the importance of system integration in achieving the EU's full decarbonisation goals by 2050 and outlines key challenges and opportunities across three main topics: electrification of end-uses, uptake of hydrogen, and utilisation of waste heat.

Main Objectives

• To assess the current progress of energy system integration in the EU.
• To identify existing barriers and provide actionable recommendations to overcome them.
• To support the development of a more integrated, flexible, and sustainable energy system in line with the European Green Deal.

Key Topics and Findings

1. Electrification of End-Uses and Decentralised Renewable Energy Integration

Main Viewpoints:

• Electrification is crucial for reducing emissions and increasing system flexibility.
• Key sectors include buildings (heating), industry (processes), and transport (electric vehicles).
• Decentralised renewable energy integration can enhance grid flexibility and reduce reliance on centralised power sources.
• Bi-directional electricity flows (e.g., through EVs) are an important enabler for system integration.

Barriers:

• Technical: Increased balancing needs due to variable renewable sources, complexity in grid operations, and limited space for new equipment in urban areas.
• Economic & Financial: High upfront costs, long project lead times, and the cost gap between renewable and fossil-based technologies.
• Legal & Regulatory: Delayed implementation of smart grid rules, limited third-party access to infrastructure, and unclear market rules for DERs.
• Societal: Lack of public awareness and support, and limited availability of trained personnel.

Recommendations:

• Develop a dedicated electrification action plan.
• Reform grid planning to improve coordination and political oversight.
• Provide guidelines for smart metering networks to maximise benefits for consumers and the energy system.
• Introduce regulatory and price-based incentives to accelerate electrification.
• Implement simplified and accelerated permitting processes at national level.

2. Uptake of Renewable and Low-Carbon Hydrogen

Main Viewpoints:

• Hydrogen is essential for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors and enhancing system flexibility.
• The focus is on renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, including biogas and biomethane.

Barriers:

• Technical: Inadequate hydrogen infrastructure (pipelines, storage), and challenges in production (electrolyzers, CCS).
• Economic & Financial: Cost gap with fossil-based hydrogen, bankability issues, and high investment needs.
• Legal & Regulatory: Unclear definitions of renewable hydrogen, delays in permitting, and lack of harmonised GHG calculation methodologies.
• Societal: Limited workforce expertise and potential low public acceptance of hydrogen derivatives and CCS.

Recommendations:

• Phase out fossil fuel subsidies to reduce the cost gap.
• Implement differentiated and ambitious demand quotas to ensure offtake certainty.
• Promote integrated infrastructure planning with risk-sharing mechanisms.
• Improve IT systems for permitting procedures and harmonise GHG methodologies.
• Prioritise renewable hydrogen imports with certified lifecycle analysis.

3. Utilisation of Waste Heat

Main Viewpoints:

• Waste heat and cold represent a significant untapped resource for reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency.
• Potential waste heat could exceed 3000 TWh/year, with industry and power generation as primary sources.

Barriers:

• Technical: Mismatches in timing, location, and temperature between waste heat sources and applications.
• Economic & Financial: High capital intensity, low valuation of waste heat, and project uncertainty.
• Legal & Regulatory: Lack of governance and planning frameworks, and limited replicability of solutions.
• Societal: Lack of awareness, acceptance, and skills among stakeholders.

Recommendations:

• Prioritise waste heat and cold in policy and funding frameworks.
• Improve the representation of waste heat in energy system models.
• Encourage the development of waste heat to power and other indirect applications.
• Provide clarity on policy principles for waste heat recovery and utilisation.
• Support Member States in implementing best practices through knowledge sharing and assistance.

Cross-Cutting Topics

• Energy Infrastructure: Need for anticipatory development and simplified permitting.
• Energy Storage: Importance of integrating storage with renewable and decentralised resources.
• Digitalisation & Innovation: Role in enabling smart grids, demand response, and better system management.
• Monitoring & Reporting: Essential for tracking progress and ensuring transparency.
• Unaddressed Challenges: Need for more comprehensive regulatory frameworks and coordination between different sectors.

Conclusion

The study concludes that while the EU has made progress in promoting energy system integration, significant barriers remain in terms of policy, infrastructure, and market design. To achieve the full potential of system integration, the EU needs to implement more ambitious and coherent policies, enhance infrastructure planning, and foster innovation and digitalisation. Stakeholder engagement and public awareness are also critical to ensuring the successful deployment of these technologies.