News

Call for EU to fund new electricity grid to spur green energy

Publish date: October 30, 2008

“We need the EU to help fund a well-developed European electricity grid with more interconnectors among different countries,” said Paul Magnette, the Belgian Minister for Climate and Energy at the conference “Defining Europe’s energy strategy” organised by the Friends of Europe on October 30th.

Several speakers concurred that it was important to create an efficient transmission grid which would help transmit renewable energy among the different European countries. The wind does not blow all the time, but it generally blows somewhere. Mr Magnette, taking as an example his own country Belgium, underlined the need for countries with too small potential for renewable energy to invest in other European countries’ green energy potential.

“Norway is probably the European country with the largest potential to export renewable electricity given the large potential for offshore wind in its exclusive economic zone. Building a grid in the North Sea is necessary to realise that potential. The minister’s remarks reflect an increasing call for the EU to take the lead in financing the infrastructure needed for a renewable society,” said Eivind Hoff of Bellona Europa.

The Belgian minister insisted that the European Union contribute large funds as soon as possible to finance this project. According to him, the market forces will not incentivise companies to build interconnectors fast enough, yet the need to add more renewable energy to the grid is now, not in twenty years.

Mr Magnette pointed out that massive EU funds were allocated to nuclear energy. If a share of those funds were reallocated to renewable energy, huge progress could be made.

More News

All news

6th meeting of the Carbon Removal Expert Group summary and feedback 

The Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) has been formally approved by the Council on the 19th of November 2024 and entered into force on the 9th of December 2024, providing an official mandate for the Commission to develop methodologies on carbon farming and carbon removals. However, the technical documents and specifications are still being drafted and revised for input from the Carbon Removals Expert Group (CREG), of which Bellona is a member. 

Photo: Christening of Northern Lights’ first CO₂ carrier in Stavanger in 2025, by Olav Øye

A great leap towards a scaled European market for CCS: Northern Lights expands storage capacity, will store CO₂ from Stockholm  

Europe’s only multi-source, injection-ready CO₂ storage site will more than triple its capacity by 2028. The decision follows an agreement with Stockholm Exergi to transport and store up to 800 – 900 kilotonnes of CO₂ per year. “This decision is years in the making, and the culmination of decades of hard work from many, Bellona included” says Bellona Europa Director Jonas Helseth.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get our latest news

Stay informed