Continental Europe Synchronous Area

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File:European electricity grid.svg
Map of European transmission system operators organizations (regional groups) in continental Europe, Nordic, Great Britain and Ireland/Northern Ireland (former UCTE, NORDEL, UKTSOA, ATSOI)

The Continental Europe Synchronous Area (CESA), formerly known as the UCTE grid, is one of the largest synchronous electrical grids in the world, primarily operating in Europe. It is interconnected as a single phase-locked 50 Hz mains frequency electricity grid that supplies over 400 million customers in 32 countries, including most of the European Union. In 2009, 667 GW of production capacity was connected to the grid, providing approximately 80 GW of operating reserve margin.[1] The transmission system operators operating this grid formed the Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE), now part of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

Area

File:Wide area synchronous grid (Eurasia, Mediterranean).png
Map of synchronous grids, with the European grid shown in dark green

The synchronous grid of continental Europe covers territory of the ENTSO-E continental Europe regional group and some neighbouring countries not involved in the ENTSO-E. As of 2025, the synchronous grid includes all or parts of the following countries:[2][3]

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The grids of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are synchronised with the European grid through the Gibraltar AC link and form the South West Mediterranean Block.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". In April 2015, the grid of Turkey was synchronised with the European grid.[4] Although synchronous, some countries operate in a near island mode, with low connectivity to other countries. The European Commission considers high connectivity to be beneficial,[5] and has listed several interconnection projects as Projects of Common Interest.[6] However, the national grids must also be upgraded to handle increased power flows if the values of a free energy market are to be realised in the EU.[7]

On 16 March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ENTSO-E set up synchronisation with the networks of Ukraine and Moldova on an emergency basis to provide external support for the power supply in those countries.[8] Plans for Ukraine to shift from the Russian grid to the European grid were already in progress, with an experimental separation from the Russian grid underway when the invasion occurred.[9] Power exchange and integration gradually increased,[10] and by August 2022, 400–700 MW were sent from Ukraine to Eastern parts of EU.[11]

The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania disconnected from IPS/UPS on 8 February 2025 and on 9 February 2025 synchronised with the continental grid.[12][13]

On 2025, Cyprus and Greece approved an electricity cable to link its power grid. France’s Nexans is building the cable and Germany’s Siemens will be contracted to build the onshore transformers. The cable will eventually continue from Cyprus to connect with Israel’s electricity grid.[14]

List of electricity interconnection levels

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Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Electricity interconnection as percentage (EIL = electricity interconnection level) of installed electricity production capacity in 2014; the EU goal of at least 10% for 2020, and 15% for 2030.[5]

Alternative formulas for calculating interconnection levels are based on peak load instead of installed capacity.[15]

Some border transmissions, particularly around the Alps, have both high utilization rate and high price difference, implying that further transmission would be beneficial.[16]

Country EIL 2014 EIL 2017 Capacity 2019 [GW] Peak load
2018 [GW]		 Interconnection level with
Interconnection Generation 2002 method 1st Expert
Group's method[15]
Austria 29% 11.8 21.3 12.1 55% 98%
Belgium 17% 19%[17] 8.6 23.1 13.5 37% 64%
Bulgaria 11% 1.9 12.7 6.5 15% 29%
Croatia 69% 3.2 5.0 3.2 64% 99%
Cyprus 0% 0.0 1.5 1.0 0% 0%
Czech Republic 17% 9.5 20.8 11.1 45% 85%
Denmark 44% 51% 7.4 15.9 6.1 46% 121%
Estonia 1.8 2.8 1.5 65% 120%
Finland 30% 3.9 17.3 14.2 23% 28%
France 10% 22.3 130.7 96.3 17% 23%
Germany 10% 28.4 222.4 79.1 13% 36%
Greece 11% 1.1 17.1 9.1 6% 12%
Hungary 29% 6.4 9.1 6.6 70% 97%
Italy 7% 11.0 94.4 57.6 12% 19%
Latvia 2.0 2.8 1.3 71% 161%
Lithuania 2.4 3.6 2.0 67% 121%
Luxembourg 245% 1.1 0.3 1.0 409% 105%
Malta 0.2 0.7 – 30% –
Netherlands 17% 18% 11.2 30.5 18.5 37% 61%
Norway 8.7 30.5 24.1 28% 36%
Poland 4% 6.0 42.5 24.5 14% 24%
Portugal 7% 4.0 19.6 8.7 20% 46%
Romania 7% 2.2 18.8 8.9 12% 24%
Slovakia 61% 5.5 7.6 4.5 73% 122%
Slovenia 65% 4.7 3.7 2.4 127% 199%
Spain 2% 7.6 104.7 40.6 7% 19%
Sweden 26% 12.3 40.8 27.4 30% 45%
Switzerland 16.8 16.1 9.8 105% 172%

Interconnections

File:HVDC Europe.svg
HVDC connections around Europe. Red are existing, blue are proposed, green are approved.

The British grid is not synchronized with the continental Europe frequency, but it is interconnected using high-voltage direct current (HVDC) via the HVDC Cross-Channel (IFA), BritNed, Nemo Link, IFA-2, North Sea Link, Viking Link and ElecLink links. In 2014, before Nemo Link, IFA-2, North Sea Link, Viking Link and ElecLink became operational, the United Kingdom's electricity interconnection level was 6%.[5]

The networks of Ireland and Northern Ireland form the ENTSO-E Irish regional group, which is not yet interconnected with the continental Europe grid, but has DC interconnections with the British network through the HVDC East–West Interconnector, Moyle Interconnector and Greenlink.

Similarly, the Nordic regional group of ENTSO-E (former NORDEL), composed of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the eastern part of Denmark (Zealand with islands and Bornholm), is not synchronized with the continental Europe, but has a number of non-synchronous DC connections with the continental Europe grid. Gotland is not synchronized with the Swedish mainland, as it is connected by HVDC.

The network of ENTSO-E Baltic regional group, composed of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is interconnected with the Nordic grid at an electricity interconnection level of 10% through the HVDC Estlink cables and NordBalt cable, which is functioning since 2015.[5] The Baltic States synchronize with the continental Europe grid through the Lithuania–Poland interconnection.

The networks of Iceland and Cyprus are not yet interconnected with the other grids. Malta is connected up to 35% via the Malta-Sicily interconnector, commissioned in 2015.

Future extension plans

ENTSO-E is studying the following extensions:

  • Tunisia–Libya synchronous connection: to synchronise continental Europe with Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon (the latter five countries constitute the SEMB of the Mediterranean Electricity Ring project),Script error: No such module "Unsubst". in addition to other projects in the Mediterranean Sea, not necessarily relying on a synchronous connection, such as:
  • ENTSO-E Nordic regional group synchronous extension.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  • Turkey-Iraq synchronous interconnection: in the past the Armenia and Turkmenistan networks were part of the Soviet unified system, but currently they are connected to the Iran grid.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b c d COM/2015/082 final: "Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target" Text Template:Webarchive PDF Template:Webarchive pp. 2–5. European Commission, 25 February 2015. Archive Mirror Template:Webarchive
  6. ↑ "Union list of projects of common interest" Template:Webarchive p. 10. European Commission, 18 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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