Mediterrean Project 2 – Closing Conference “An Integrated Grid for enabling the Energy Transition in the Mediterranean”

After two and a half years of intensive work, the “Mediterranean Project 2” of Med-TSO has come to its conclusion. The Association has therefore organized the web conference “An integrated electricity grid for enabling the Energy Transition in the Mediterranean”, as an opportunity to present the work done and the results achieved during this two-year project. The Project started in 2018, thanks to an EU grant funding, to continue, consolidate, and improve the successful activities carried out in the frame of the previous Mediterranean Project 1 promoting the integration of the regional power systems, aligned with the objectives of EU’s Neighbourhood policy on Energy and Climate Change. The Mediterranean Project 2 has been developed in the frame of the EU initiatives aimed at facilitating the energy transition in the Mediterranean region and in the connected neighbouring regions, as well as reducing the cost and the environmental footprint of electricity. The creation of security, stability and prosperity represents a common objective of the Mediterranean countries; to this aim, adequate, integrated and efficient electricity infrastructures, constitute one of the main pillars for the achievement of societal development and security of supply goals. During the conference, the main outcomes of the project will be presented, whose objectives are to investigate how to increase energy security and reliability and favour greater RES penetration by facilitating their integration, increase the overall system efficiency, generate economies of scale in investments and operations, and improve cooperation and exchange of experience among the Mediterranean TSOs. Through this Closing Conference, Med-TSO would also like to offer an overview on the Mediterranean evolution in the energy sector, thanks to the participation of high-level speakers from the EU institutions and from the Southern neighbourhood countries. A discussion panel on the topic “A stronger integration of electricity grids of both shores of the Mediterranean: opportunities, challenges and concrete ways to progress” will also give the opportunity to listen to the point of view of some of the main actors and stakeholders on the Mediterranean energy scene. The conference will be also the occasion to present the new project of the Association, TEASIMED – Towards an Efficient, Adequate, Sustainable, and Interconnected MEDiterranean power system. With this new initiative, the third one with funds by the European Commission, Med-TSO intends to focus more its activities until 2022 on the practical implementation of guidelines, rules, and methodologies defined in the first two projects, by developing pilot projects in selected areas of the Mediterranean region and by strengthening the cooperation in Operation.