“There are mechanisms in the network [elétrica] that allow us to increase capacity without doing it again”
![“There are mechanisms in the network [elétrica] that allow us to increase capacity without doing it again”](/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1719858468_mw-1200-780x470.)
The energy transition is – and will continue – putting pressure on electricity distribution networks which, in turn, already needed to be renewed even without this transition. £o. How to solve this problem then? To answer this question, E-Redes brought together João Gouveia de Carvalho and João Brito Martins, both administrators of E-Redes, in a conference; José Ferrari Careto, executive president of E-Redes; Yves Frelon, responsible for strategic studies in the Department of Planning and Network Economics at French company Enedis; Jose Luis González, junior partner at the consultancy McKinsey & Company; Edmea Adell, president of industrial asset manager Assetsman; Jerónimo Cunha, general director of the General Directorate of Energy and Geology (DGEG); Gonçalo Sampaio, executive director of Sotécnica, owned by Vinci Energies Portugal and Maria João Pereira, Secretary of State for Energy. These are the main conclusions of this Monday afternoon’s meeting.
1. Modernization
- When modernizing electricity distribution networks, the question no longer arises whether it is necessary or not, but rather how it will be done in efficiently and effectively. Because, says João Gouveia de Carvalho, “the energy transition will not happen without the modernization of the networks†.
- According to José Luis González, this work is essential but not only because of the increase in electricity consumption that has already occurred and what will come with the energy transition, but also by the increase in renewable production and self-production, and also by increasingly extreme weather events that overload networks.
- Artificial intelligence and digitalization is a way of modernizing these networks because they allow us to increase the speed of responding to electricity failures at home, as well as to do so remotely.
- Furthermore, it allows you to collect more data and, in this way, better manage current networks and network interruptions and avoid failures.
The Secretary of State for Energy, Maria João Pereira, closed the meeting highlighting the Government’s concern with consumers
Matilde Fieschi
2. The challenges
- The lack of labor is one of them, says Gonçalo Sampaio. Because there is a lack of technicians in Portugal and those that are available are encouraged to go abroad where they earn more and have better working conditions. In this sense, he says, “there is a need to improve the remuneration of these technicians so as not to delay our decarbonization process†.
- Another challenge is to ensure that these investments are made without burdening the consumer, because the money spent on new lines and on modernizing existing lines is paid by consumers in the tariff.
- José Ferrari Careto does not anticipate the value of the E-Redes plan for the period 2026-2030, which will be delivered in October this year, but guarantees that “taking into account the increase in predicted consumption, it is possible to do so. if investments up to €1.4 or €1.5 billion without incurring the tariff†.
- The Secretary of State for Energy herself says that “the Government considers investment in networks essential, but is concerned about the impact on consumers†, which is why, in addition to expanding the network, it considers it important to incorporate all – “the type of management models†, such as flexibility or storage.
- In fact, concludes Jerónimo Cunha, “there are mechanisms in the network that allow increasing the network capacity without creating new ones†.
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