Czech state-run power grid operator CEPS has planned investments worth around CZK 8.4bn per year in this decade, according to CEPS spokesman Lukas Hrabal.
This year’s planned investments will amount to about CZK8.3bn, focusing mainly on the modernisation of transformer stations and transmission lines, Hrabal said.
Investments in the coming years will react to the expected significant rise in renewable energy sources.
The transmission system is currently ready to safely transfer the energy produced in existing photovoltaic and wind power plants, according to Hrabal. For further development, CEPS has several scenarios to follow in the next decade.
“We have included the necessary reinforcements in our investment programme to make sure that we will able be to provide for the development of photovoltaic and wind power plants according to the predicted scenarios and that the transmission grid will not be a limiting element for this development in the future,” Hrabal said.
It is precisely because of the massive development of renewable energy sources that CEPS had to take a unique step on Easter Monday this year. Due to unbalanced power in the grid, it disconnected hundreds of domestic photovoltaic power plants from the grid for two hours.
The costs of developing and strengthening the transmission and distribution networks are likely to continue to rise in the future. Experts say this is due to the measures needed to ensure the stability of the grid as decarbonisation progresses and electricity consumption increases.
Source: CEPS and CTK
Photo: CEPS
