80 Million km of Grids Needed by 2040

EVC are excited to share a vital report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) today. The findings are clear: the world needs to add or replace roughly 80 million kilometers of electricity grids by 2040. This staggering figure is equivalent to the entire existing global grid, and it's essential to meet our national climate targets and secure our energy future.

Electricity grids have been the backbone of power distribution for over a century. They've delivered energy to our homes, businesses, and hospitals. As the role of electricity in our energy systems continues to grow, ensuring the resilience and expansion of our grids is paramount.

However, the IEA's "Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions" report reveals that our grids are struggling to keep up with the rapid growth of clean energy technologies like solar, wind, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. Without immediate attention and investment, these grid shortcomings could undermine our climate goals and energy security.

To meet our climate and energy objectives, we must install or replace 80 million kilometers of power lines by 2040. That's a massive undertaking, equivalent to the entire global grid. It also requires significant changes in how grids operate and are regulated, along with doubling annual grid investments to over $600 billion by 2030.

The consequences of inaction are already visible, with a substantial backlog of renewable energy projects waiting for grid connections. The report identifies 1,500 gigawatts of such projects in advanced development stages – five times the global solar and wind capacity added last year.

The International Energy Agency (IEA)'s report outlines an interesting roadmap, including expanding grid interconnections within and between countries, supporting large-scale transmission projects, and embracing digitalization to make our grids more resilient and flexible.

Having travelled around Africa, I can say that International collaboration is essential, especially in emerging economies, to ensure access to the resources needed to modernise and expand electricity grids.

In our opinion we're at a critical juncture. We have the opportunity to invest in our grids today and secure our energy future. Having worked with various DNOs within the UK and throughout the world, I can certainly say there is plenty of work to do.

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