At its Energy Forum 2024, IFIEC Europe called for the swift development and concrete implementation of a new set of measures in the field of energy in support to the European industry. This policy should not only contribute to safeguard the EU’s industry’s global competitiveness, which is sharply challenged, but also create a framework for piloting industrial companies through the energy transition towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050.

15 high-caliber speakers from industry and politics constructively discussed solutions to secure competitive low carbon energy for industry in a short-term and long-term perspective. A successful event that attracted more than 75 participants, an important step to continue intensive dialogues and search for creative & concrete sustainable solutions together!

During the last IFIEC’s GA of December 2023, our experts had the opportunity to discuss informally the grid infrastructure challenges faced by energy-intensive industries in Europe with 2 important guest speakers: Sonya Twohig, secretary General of ENTSO-E (electricity) and Piotr Kuz, Director General of ENTSOG (gas). 

The discussion covered several issues such as grid reliability and stability, grid capacity and congestion, but also integration of renewables, energy storage, smart grid technologies as well as interconnection and cross-border cooperation, investment and funding …

This was a rich discussion that will be pursued in the near future. Addressing these grid infrastructure challenges requires, indeed, collaboration between all actors : energy providers, regulators, policymakers and, obviously, industrial stakeholders to create a resilient and adaptive energy grid that meets the evolving needs of energy-intensive industries in Europe.