Ten-Year Network Development Plan - 2015 edition, executive summary

Complying with the European and French laws, each year, RTE prepares and publicizes a Ten-Year Network Development Plan (NDP) to meet the expectations of its stakeholders and customers. The NDP lists the network development projects that RTE plans to complete and commission over a 3-year period and presents the main power transmission infrastructure work envisaged for the next Ten-years. Beyond, it outlines the possible network adaptation needs for a variety of energy transition scenarios. Over the next 10 years, the network investments will make it possible to: - Meet the goals of the Regional Climate Air Energy Plans, - Create 4 GW of extra offshore wind generation integration capacity and 10 GW of additional interconnection capacity, 2/3 more than the current capacity, - Enable the development of economically and demographically dynamic areas, with safe and high-standard electricity supply. In the coming decade, RTE plans: - 1,200 km of new underground and sub-sea DC links, along with their associated converter stations; - 600 km of existing equipment upgrades or new overhead 400 kV AC circuits substituting existing power lines. - and, at the same time, nearly 900 km of underground lines and just over 400 km of overhead 225 kV AC lines should be built. 400 projects are listed in this NDP: - 21% of the operations are on overhead lines (for 3/4 new lines or upgrade and for 1/4 dismantling of existing assets) - 27% concern new underground lines; - 52% on substation adaptations (about 20 new RTE substations and 100 new customer substations connected). Globally, nearly 80% of the network is developed underground or sub-sea. This edition of the Network Development plan is further enriched. In particular, it explains more thoroughly the link between the integration of renewable energy and the entailed development of the transmission network. It also provides a focus on smart grids. This edition relies on mid and long term scenarios describing the evolution of the consumption and the energy mix in Europe and France, and developed in the ENTSO-E's TYNDP (at European level), RTE's Generation Adequacy Forecast and Regional RES Connection Plans (at French level). It also includes inputs from the public consultation or by members of RTE's Stakeholders Committee (CURTE) through his network prospects commission. It also takes into account the recommendations formulated by the regulator (CRE) in its July 9 2015 Opinion. In particular, the drivers for the development of interconnections are more detailed. Lastly, the possible network adaptation needs beyond 2025 have been refined based on the latest network studies performed by RTE in 2015