Press Release: State aid: Commission approves €86.6 million French aid for SuperGrid research programme to develop innovative energy transmission networks

The European Commission concluded that the aid granted by France to the Supergrid Institut pour la transition énergétique for a research project aimed at developing a new generation of long-distance energy transmission networks complies with the EU rules on State aid. It will promote important European objectives such as securing energy supplies and protecting the environment without unduly distorting competition.

The SuperGrid networks will use high-voltage direct and alternating current (up to a million volts) designed for the large-scale transmission of energy from renewable sources, many of them off-shore, that are far from the centres of consumption. These networks, together with flexible storage facilities, will make it possible to manage the intermittent nature of renewables and will ensure network stability and security.