A global electricity grid connecting continents has long been a vision of the energy transition. Today, a small number of large-scale projects are beginning to turn this idea into reality.
New intercontinental transmission concepts aim to transport renewable electricity across thousands of kilometers, from regions with abundant wind and solar resources to major demand centers. Projects such as long-distance subsea cables could link North Africa to Europe or Australia to Asia enabling the delivery of large volumes of clean electricity while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
However, significant technical, economic, and geopolitical challenges remain. From infrastructure costs to cross-border coordination, scaling these projects will require strong international cooperation and long-term investment frameworks.
Learn more about the opportunities and challenges of a global electricity grid in this month’s article from Handelsblatt:
This article is the latest in the series “Green ideas that might change the world” that Handelsblatt and Future Cleantech Architects co-developed to shed light on some of the most intensively debated cleantech innovations. We are pleased to provide scientific guidance to the series. Stay tuned for new releases!