Optimisation of future 'energy corridors' between the EU and neighbouring countries

In several publications the EU emphasizes its role as a force for stability and sustainable development in Europe. Extending the benefits of the Internal Market is part of actions of the EU to integrate the energy markets of surrounding countries. Also the current and future neighbouring countries play a vital role in the development of the EU, as they are the main suppliers and transit counties of oil and natural gas. That role will grow significantly in the next decades and is extended in the next decades with electricity trade and later with hydrogen supply from neighbouring countries.

The figure shows the EU embedded in the surrounding regions. Existing and possible corridors are indicated.

The objectives of ENCOURAGED are threefold:

  • To assess the economic optimal energy interconnections and network infrastructure for electricity, gas and hydrogen of EU with and through neighbouring regions (North Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Iceland) connecting EU with key producers in next decades.
  • To identify, quantify and evaluate the barriers and potential benefits of a large European “energy connected area”.
  • To recommend the necessary measures to be adopted to ensure, realize and implement these energy corridors and realise a high-level of network security and organise workshops and a final stakeholders conference to assure consensus among scientists, stakeholders and NGO’s and to validate the results.

The project is executed by a consortium of EU and non-EU partners.

For discussing the project results a final meeting was organised in Brussels and 2 seminars for stakeholders (Algiers and Ankara).

The final report
ENERGY CORRIDORS, European Union and neighbouring countries
can be downloaded at ECN.

For more information please contact Frits van Oostvoorn

Contract no. SSP6-CT2004-006588
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