MEDREG TRAINING
ON EUROPEAN RULES FOR CROSS-BORDER INTERCONNECTIONS
5-6 December 2017
Hotel El Mouradi (Gammarth – Tunis)
Context
Electricity interconnections can deliver greater security of supply, improve efficiency of power generation, contribute towards a larger-scale uptake of renewables, enhance competition amongst neighboring markets and suppliers and therefore contribute to the reduction of wholesale electricity prices to the benefit of consumers. All of the above are among the driving principles of the creation of a single market in the European Union. However, achieving compatibility and complementarity of national systems beyond their differences often presents important challenges. Electricity systems of the north and south Mediterranean basin are complementary. If properly developed, they have the potential to support cross-border energy trade, delivering high benefits. However, to achieve this objective, several technical, economic and regulatory obstacles have to be discussed and solved.
Tunisia and Italy are currently discussing an interconnection project which could be a building block of a larger process aiming at connecting North African countries and Europe. The Italian and Tunisian electricity Transmission System Operators (TSOs), Terna and STEG, in agreement with Italian and Tunisian Governments and other European TSO’s, are proposing a public line model. They obtained the inclusion of this interconnector among the European projects of common interest (PCI), a status which will facilitate completing the investment process.
The concept of PCI as it has been developed in the EU covers different topics including permitting and financing. However, successfully building new interconnectors also requires identifying appropriate business models which include determining how cables are going to be managed. European regulators have some experience to share in this area and could support Tunisian authorities in defining a suitable framework for interconnection development in their country, in line with national energy policy orientations.
MEDREG has designed a 2 day training session for the staff of the Tunisian Minister of Energy, Mining and Renewable Energies, with the aim to enhance their knowledge on the fundamentals and challenges related to the implementation of cross-border interconnections. The training will present the state of play of interconnection infrastructure in the Mediterranean, the principles associated with PCIs and their application to non-EU countries and the regulation, operation and management of cross border interconnections, building upon the European experience. Different business models are to be presented with practical case studies.
*******
LIST OF SPEAKERS
Representant TBC:Ministry of Energy, Mining and Renewable Energy, Tunisia
Nicolò Di Gaetano: Chair of the MEDREG Institutional Working Group and Senior Advisor of the Italian regulator«Autorità per l'energiaelettricail gas e ilsistemaidrico» (AEEGSI)
BenoîtEsnault: Chair of the MEDREG Electricity Working Group andPrésident du groupe de travail électricité de MEDREG and Head of the Interconnection and European Affairs Department of the French regulator «Commission de Régulation de l’Energie» (CRE)
Lisa Guarrera:Director of Modelling and Monitoring at Mediterranean Energy Observatory (OME)
Ester Peregrina:Regulation Expert, Department of Operation Markets at Red Eléctrica de España (REE)
Luca Ruffino:Project Leader, Association of Mediterranean Transmission System Operators (Med-TSO)
Marco Savino
Pasquadibisceglie:Officer,Special Office EuropeanRegulation of the Italianregulator«Autorità per l'energia elettrica il gas e il sistema idrico» (AEEGSI)
PROGRAMME
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
09:00-17:30
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
09:00-09:30 Opening remarks and presentation of the Italy-Tunisia interconnector project
●Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mining and Renewable Energy
09:30-09:45 Introduction of training and participants
●Nicolò Di Gaetano, AEEGSI (Italy)
SESSION 1 – STATE OF PLAY OF INTERCONNECTION INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
09:45-11:00 Energy scenarios in the Mediterranean region: the importance of increasing energy exchanges and trade
●Lisa Guarrera, OME
Q&A/Discussion
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 The Spain-Morocco interconnection and the Italy-Montenegro cable
●Ester Peregrina, Red Eléctrica de España (Spain)
●Luca Ruffino, Med-TSO
Q&A/Discussion
13:00-14:00 Lunch Break
SESSION 2 – OPERATING CROSS-BORDER INTERCONNECTIONS
14:00-15:30 Existing and planned interconnection lines in the Euro-Mediterranean region: Current usage and potential
●Luca Ruffino, Med-TSO
Q&A/Discussion
15.30-17.00 Regulation of interconnections in the EU
●Marco Savino Pasquadibisceglie, AEEGSI (Italy)
●BenoîtEsnault, CRE (France)
Q&A/Discussion
17:00-17:30 Roundtable discussion and wrap-up of the day
●Nicolò Di Gaetano, AEEGSI (Italy)
Wednesday, 6 December 2017
09:00-14:15
OPENING REMARKS
09:00-09:15 Opening remarks and summary of day 1
●BenoîtEsnault, CRE (France)
SESSION 3 – INVESTMENT MODELS AND PROJECTS OF COMMON INTEREST
09:15-11:00 Different investment models for electricity interconnections
●Marco Savino Pasquadibisceglie, AEEGSI (Italy)
●BenoîtEsnault, CRE (France)
Q&A/Discussion
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 The institutions regulating energy in the Euro-Mediterranean region and the European Projects of Common Interest (PCIs)
●Nicolò Di Gaetano, AEEGSI (Italy)
●BenoîtEsnault, CRE (France)
Q&A/Discussion
13:00-13:15 Wrap-up of day 2 and closing remarks
●BenoîtEsnault, CRE (France)
13:15-14:15 Networking Lunch
1