Twelve European Energy Ministers affirm that “cross-border interconnection is essential to reduce energy prices.” Electricity prices currently fluctuate more.
Portugal and 11 other member states of the European Union (EU) asked this Tuesday that the European Commission support the creation of energy interconnections, especially electricity, to lower energy prices in the community, given the instability of the market.
“Interconnection and cross-border cooperation are key to reducing our energy prices, facilitate the transition, market functioning, alleviate grid congestion and accelerate decarbonization. It is time to ensure the full participation of all Member States in the internal energy market”, say the Energy Ministers of Portugal, Spain, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta and Holland in a position announced this Tuesday.
On the day European supervisors meet in Luxembourg, they say in a joint statement that “cross-border energy interconnections are fundamental for the full functioning of the internal energy market and urgent measures are needed to ensure greater integration of cross-border electricity systems in the EU, including achieving the EU electricity interconnection targets for 2030.”
This is at a time when “Electricity prices fluctuate more than before.”, they add.
“You The next few years will be crucial to reduce energy pricesboth for our industry and for our citizens. Our high dependence on fossil fuels, combined with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the fact that Russia has weaponized its energy supply, has proven to be a dangerous combination,” the leaders recall.
They therefore call for “united EU action”, similar to what occurred in the energy crisis two years ago, accentuated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which now includes “inclusive solutions”, such as interconnections, specifically to through public support.
“In addition to ensuring adequate Union financing for renewable energy, such as through the Connecting Europe Facility and the EU Renewable Energy Financing Facility until 2040, Europe above all needs to increase private financing for investment in renewable energy. , electrical networks and interconnections”, highlights the 12 countries that support alternative energy sources in the EU.
Portugal and also Spain have been demanding an increase in these infrastructures precisely because the Iberian Peninsula has few energy interconnections with the rest of the EU.
The RepowerEU energy package, launched in May 2022, plans to focus on this type of Iberian interconnections, with the expectation that Portugal will move forward with old interconnection projects with Spain, to reach the rest of Europe, both in terms of electricity and electricity. . gas (natural and, in the future, hydrogen).
In October 2022, the governments of Portugal, France and Spain reached an agreement in Brussels to accelerate interconnections in the Iberian Peninsula, abandoning the existing project, intended solely for gas, for another that provides for a maritime gas pipeline for, in addition to an initial transport phase of this fossil fuel, if it is used in the future to produce “green” hydrogen.
Source: Observadora
