The FSR is pleased to publish an exclusive interview to Klaus-Dieter Borchardt (Director, DG ENER), by Ilaria Conti (Head of FSR Gas Area) – recorded in Brussels on 9th January – on the future of the EU energy market.
In this comprehensive interview, Director Borchardt explains very clearly what his vision for the future of electricity and gas markets is – and discusses very timely topics such as sector coupling, power-to-gas projects, a new legislative reform on gas market design, and many more.
Watch the interview
In the first part of the interview, Director Borchardt focuses on the future integration of the gas and electricity sector.
“Integration is a very strong word, I would say. I think we have to see how we can bring first the two sectors closer to find interdependencies… and then maybe integration as a second step”.
In the view of the Commission, the future role of gas, encompassing renewable gas and Power-to-Gas, goes far beyond the transition fuel.
“I do not understand people saying that gas can only be a bridging fuel for renewables […]Under the current situation, you may get to 50% renewable share in the whole system. How do you fill the rest? For me, that is the role of gas, the future role of gas”
In the second part of the conversation, Borchardt names three main challenges for the gas industry in 2018: implementation of existing gas network codes, reforming the energy market design and last but not least, digitalization.
“Everybody is talking about it, very few are coming forward with concrete projects and ideas on what it really means in concrete terms. But this is something we have to look into very soon in order to get a framework for digitalization which is right for gas and electricity”
