The Masterplan Report

Foreword
The Mediterranean Master Plan 2020 (MMP 2020) is the second edition of the Interconnections Development Plan between 21 grid operators in the region, developed by Med-TSO. The time horizon of this plan is 2030.

The MMP2020 defines the feasibility of 15 main interconnection projects (within three corridors), including the reinforcements of the existing grids to accommodate reliable transit flows in the Med-TSO Region and keep the security of operation standards at adequate levels. The main infrastructure investments have been identified in cross border interconnection projects, regardless to their maturity levels, with the specific objective to:

a) increase energy security and reliability;
b) favor greater RES penetration, thus reducing the environmental impact of the electricity generation, by facilitating their integration in the Mediterranean Region, especially encouraging cost-effective RES exchanges both on the North-South and South-South axes;
c) increase the overall system efficiency;
d) generate economies of scale in investments and operations.

Meeting the above-mentioned objectives is a need for the Mediterranean countries, in order to face the challenges that the energy transition (with its high RES penetration) is posing to the TSOs everyday business and long-term planning activities. The MMP2020 is the coordinated answer of the Mediterranean TSOs to these challenges. Enjoy the reading and navigation!
1. Executive Summary
This edition of the Masterplan of Mediterranean interconnections is the result of the collaboration between the 22 Transmission System Operators (TSOs) of Med-TSO, in their commitment to assessing opportunities to enhance the electrical integration of the Mediterranean Region.

The Masterplan is one of the key deliverables of TEASIMED (Towards an Efficient, Adequate, Sustainable and Interconnected MEDiterranean power system), the third project co-funded by the European Commission to sustain the development of the Region. It includes the assessment of 19 interconnection projects, promoted by Mediterranean TSOs belonging to 16 different countries and 5 different corridors, and characterized by common geographical peculiarities and challenges.
Projects are assessed in terms of the 2030 time-horizon and considering two different long-term energy scenarios developed by Med-TSO members in alignment with the scenarios set out by ENTSO-E, the Association of European TSOs within the framework of the 2022 Ten-Year Network Development Plan.

Network assessments have been carried out using an innovative continuous load flow approach relying on the analysis of a wider number of grid conditions, with the aim of facilitating a more accurate and detailed identification of contingencies and network issues for further investigation.




Figure 1. MMP 2022 Main Results

By examining the results and the overall indicators resulting from the Masterplan, the following key considerations could be extracted:

  • Within the framework of the Masterplan, TSOs were given the opportunity (in some cases for the first time), and the tools to observe the possible evolution trends of the whole Mediterranean region, identify the associated system needs, and assess the benefits of interconnection projects to cover them.
  • The execution of the analyzed interconnection projects would result in around 19 GW of additional transfer capacity and would require up to €16 bn of investment. This would significantly contribute to the development of the Mediterranean region from economic, social and environmental perspectives.
  • The Masterplan provides useful insights on projects currently under development and future interconnections subject to preliminary assessment. Projects expected to be put into operation before 2030 include the additional Morocco - Spain interconnection, the EuroAsia Interconnector connecting Greece, Cyprus and Israel, and the first interconnection between Italy and Tunisia, which recently secured €307 m of EU financing.
  • The development of new interconnection capacity would facilitate a more efficient leveraging of complementarities among Mediterranean countries, enabling the integration of more renewable generation and the global reduction of CO2 emissions
  • In some cases, interconnections would directly contribute to reducing the isolation of specific countries and regions, thereby drastically increasing their Security of Supply (SoS).
  • Leveraging interconnections is a first step towards the integration of the Mediterranean Region, which would need to undergo further developments in order to ensure efficient operational use of the available transmission capacity.
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