v Power-to-gas projects like this one in Falkenhagen, Germany show that gas networks can be used to store and transport the excess production of green power in the form of hydrogen or methane.
Gas networks are embedded in an increas
Conclusion
ingly complex technical environment. Smart
The importance of gas and gas smart grids in
monitoring and the introduction of new tech
future energy production, transportation and
niques of more “active” control will optimize
use in Europe should not be underestimated.
grid operation and will lead to a more efficient
Gas grids play a central role in the overall
network which allows additional functionalities.
energy production, transport and usage thanks
Associated information and communication
to their flexibility and compatibility with renew
networks should be safe, secure and robust to
ables. The storage abilities of gas and energy
respect the fundamental rights and freedoms
convertibility to gas will solve many of the pro
of end-users.
blems already identified in order to attain
The natural gas industry has been an increasingly active contributor toward a smarter
future energy efficiency in a sustainable way. The smart gas grid concept is based on
energy system. The Marcogaz-Eurogas-GERG
maximizing the efficiency of overall energy
status report with accompanying database
usage by taking full advantage of all the oppor
gives a regularly updated detailed overview of
tunities that gas and the gas grid can offer.
some European projects towards a smarter gas grid as part of a smart energy system. This
Jos Dehaeseleer, Marcogaz; Tim Cayford, Policy
report is available on www.marcogaz.org and is
Advisor, Eurogas; Benjamin de Ville de Goyet,
augmented by a video available in several
Technical Advisor, Marcogaz; and Ilir Kas, Senior
languages on www.eurogas.org.
Advisor, Synergrid.
170 S m a r t E n e r g y G r i d A s p e c t s R e l a t e d t o G a s