Supergrid or Super Grid – Plans for a European Supergrid
A Supergrid or Super Grid is a wide area electricity transmission network that enables large volumes of energy to be sent and traded across very long distances. Unlike normal electricity grids, supergrids can transport renewable energy (which is often unreliable with regards to generating a constant flow of electricity) more effectively. Super grid’s are also a lot more reliable, losing less energy during transmission than more commonly used systems; this is because supergrid’s generally use high voltage DC current (HVDC) compared to high voltage AC currents (HVAC). HVDC cables can also carry more than HVAC cables, making supergrid technology more efficient again. The problem with HVDC is that expensive ‘static inverters’ are needed to convert AC power, generated by most power stations, into a DC current to be sent along the super grid.
Supergrid - European Supergrid
The idea for a supergrid or super grid was first proposed in the US in the 1930’s but was rejected. There have been super grid technologies implemented in the past, with the first supergrids being built in the 1960’s. But there have not been many built at all due to impracticalities and difficulties in the past relating to the need for a supergrid compared to a standard system of electricity transport. These impracticalities however are now in the past, and the advantages that a supergrid brings could be hugely beneficial in the fight against climate change. Below we will examine the proposal of a European Supergrid and its potential climate change fighting capabilities.
There is a current proposal being considered by European nations of a huge supergrid or super grid and network of renewable technology installations that would span Europe and North Africa in order to meet the whole of Europe’s energy needs. Suggestions for vast areas of Solar Panels and Solar Thermal Collectors in North Africa, huge wind farms off the coasts of the UK, Denmark and other windy countries, and geothermal energy created in Iceland and Italy have been suggested to generate the whole of Europe’s energy. Arnulf Jaeger-Walden from the EU commissions Institute for Energy stated that only 0.3% of the Sahara alone would need to be covered in solar panels to provide the whole of Europe’s energy needs.
Using a huge European supergrid, electricity could be transported and shared between nations when it was needed as energy usage levels fluctuated in different parts of Europe. So power could be transported to northern Europe from Africa in the day, but at night time wind farms could generate and transmit the power needed for example.
Huge investment would be required in renewable energy technology installation, and a new high voltage DC supergrid network would need to be built. This is needed because compared to conventional electricity grids, supergrid’s use DC not AC currents. These lose less energy during transportation and are therefore much more efficient and suitable for renewable energy transportation, especially over long distances. There are estimates that the total cost could come to €450 billion spread over the years up to 2050, but once built, it is expected that electricity will be cheaper for consumers with use of the European supergrid idea.
Tags: Renewable Energy, renewable energy investment, supergrid