Supergrid to the rescue

Abstract

Concerns over the security of electric supply, combined with increasing pressure to tackle climate change, have forced many European countries to urgently re-evaluate their energy strategies. But a new project, proposed by Irish renewable energy firm Airtricity, offers a possible solution. The company creates a source of limitless renewable energy, based in Europe, from which all countries can benefit. Airtricity aims to build a huge, pan-European electricity `supergrid' that will connect offshore windfarms from the Baltic sea to the Mediterranean, via the North Sea and the Atlantic. Supergrid is designed to carry energy from wind turbines to suppliers, and to act as a transmission network, enabling the secure spread of electricity between countries. This should boost trading and help Europe move towards a single energy market.