The future will demand more from the power system
The Ministry of Energy will regulate Statnett’s role as offshore system operator. In addition, the government has decided to give Statnett responsibility for planning the offshore grid.
However, the future will demand more from the power system and from Statnett. We need to make better use of the existing grid and make considerable investments in new infrastructure. Given these challenges, it is important that we prioritise the investments that will give the most impact.
The strategic decisions of Statnett are influenced by global events. Climate change and the energy transition affect the need for more electricity and grid. Although the growth in power consumption is slower than expected, there is still a substantial need for grid connection and the queue to connect customers is long.
At the same time, it is becoming more difficult to gain acceptance for measures affecting nature and local communities. Costs and lead times increases substantially in the global supply chain as a consequence of the tense global security situation.
With climate change, more extreme weather events will impact the transmission grid. In addition, the share of intermittent energy in the power system increases and affects an already vulnerable and integrated system.
In our role as system operator, grid owner and planning authority, Statnett acknowledges the critical tasks ahead along with the responsibility to deliver and to adapt. Expectations are high, as we are managing critical infrastructure. Hence, our strategy is refined and redefined towards the most critical tasks that require our attention and the necessary pace in execution in the coming years.
This is why we are moving from ten to three strategic focus areas. Our aim is to work more effectively – without compromising on sustainability and safety. We must start the right project at the right time and deliver socio-economically profitable solutions. This must be achieved in accordance with our financial mandate and framework.
Our three key strategic areas
We have identified three key strategic areas to achieve our mission as the strategic environment continues to change:
Increase utilisation of existing grid and power system
Grid construction is time- and cost-consuming, mainly due to increased prices and lead times on components. This calls for Statnett to increase utilisation of an already highly utilised infrastructure and power system.
This ensures that we can effectively connect more consumption and production faster than by expanding the network alone.
Construct the grid and power system faster and more efficiently
Increased utilisation of the existing grid will not be sufficient to meet expected future power consumption. Statnett market analysis predicts substantial increase in consumption towards 2040.
To meet this demand, Statnett depends on grid expansion. Even though the increased power consumption is factually less than anticipated, there is still an urgent need to upgrade and expand the grid.
To increase the pace of development, we must standardise and take a holistic view of the project portfolio, both in terms of planning and execution. At the same time, we must ensure sustainable use of materials, involvement of local communities and shareholders as well as minimising environmental impact.
Enhance resilience and preparedness in operations and development
Investments in digitalisation, system upgrades and security applications lead to a more robust grid.
At the same time, a more dynamic, automated and integrated power system makes us more vulnerable and challenge our ability to maintain normal operation.
In addition, the global security situation has become more tense. This increases Statnett’s need to enhance our resilience and preparedness both in terms of cyber and physical security.