The very clear lines between electricity, heat and gas infrastructures will become increasingly fluid and blurred, says Hans Korteweg. [ BASF / Flickr ] When adopting new rules for Europe’s electricity market, EU policymakers shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture which involves an increasingly integrated energy system with multiple links between electricity, heat and gas, writes Hans Korteweg. Hans Korteweg is Managing Director of COGEN Europe , the European association representing the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat (cogeneration). The Electricity Market Design (EMD) proposals, now in the final round of negotiations, aim to provide a ‘rulebook’ defining the rights and responsibilities among different energy players, while making the electricity sector fit for the rising share in variable renewable electricity. Tackling the complexities of the electricity sector is admittedly a gargantuan task.

But negotiators should not lose sight of the bigger picture which involves an increasingly integrated energy system with multiple links between electricity, heat and gas. This integrated energy system is already taking shape in the Commission’s Long-Term Decarbonisation Strategy. On the path to decarbonisation energy systems will need to become more integrated to allow for more emission reductions, efficiency, renewable energy across and between electricity, heat and gas infrastructures. Some concrete examples show that the very clear lines between these infrastructures will become increasingly fluid and blurred. One such example is power-to-x: renewable electricity will be increasingly used to produce heat, synthetic gases or hydrogen. Cogeneration can use different energy sources stored and delivered through the gas network to produce efficient heat and electricity. Smart heat can help shifting electricity consumption off peak (via heat pumps plus heat storage) or generate electricity during peak time (via cogeneration and heat storage). All these options represent opportunities to integrate more renewables, maximise emission reductions and improve overall system […]