Seventh anniversary of the Association of Mediterranean Transmission System Operators

The staff of the Secretariat of Med-TSO: from the left, Luca Ruffino, Sergio Notari, Gherardo Vichi, Antonio Moretti, Arianna Andreoletti, Emanuela Errichi; sitting, Simona La Cioppa and Angelo Ferrante

Dear readers,

our Association has been set up on 19 April 2012 with the long-term vision of promoting the integration of the Mediterranean Power System, by reinforcing the multilateral cooperation among the Members and increasing the electricity exchanges across our countries.
Companies from twelve countries signed the funding act in Rome and, within the next seven years, TSOs from other seven countries joined the Association that now almost covers the entire Mediterranean basin, gathering 21 TSOs from 19 countries.

After a pioneering phase where we had to demonstrate at first the attitude of TSOs to cooperate in a fruitful manner, the Association is now entering into a more mature phase of its history.

The Mediterranean Project 1 (carried out from 2015 to 2018) and its deliverables have gained a lot of positive comments and evaluations, both from the European Commission, which co-funded our work, and from the regional stakeholders. The new project that we are running since June 2018 – the Mediterranean Project 2 – represents a new challenge but also a new opportunity to reinforce our position as a reference in the Mediterranean region.

Our role, recognized by all the regional actors, is of paramount importance. We strongly believe that the development of a more integrated and efficient electricity transmission infrastructure in the Mediterranean is a strategic driver for facilitating the energy transition in the region. The role of the transmission companies is changing everywhere: in many cases the energy transition has determined, or is going to determine, a full unbundling of the grid operation from the other activities in the power sector, with a consequent shift of paradigm for our companies. Integration is no more an opportunity but a real necessity for tackling efficiently and effectively this challenge and managing the relevant risks.

In this dramatically changing scenario, Med-TSO plays a crucial role, as an incubator of new practices and experiences in the region and as a catalyst of innovation and new technologies.

Angelo Ferrante,

Med-TSO Secretary General