Why electrification cannot wait

Nearly 77% of Europe's final energy use, the energy used by households, transport and businesses, is not yet electrified, and most of it relies on imported fossil fuels. Countries that committed to electrification, such as the Nordics, have shown to be less exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Electrification is the most effective way to make Europe’s energy system more affordable and less vulnerable. 

Electrification requires clear political commitment to create the confidence for households and industry alike to make the switch. For households, electrification can mean keeping the home warm with an all-electric heat pump instead of burning gas in a boiler. At a larger scale, an electric boiler uses electricity instead of gas to heat water for district heating networks. Vattenfall does this in the Netherlands, where its electric boiler can produce enough heat to keep around 20,000 homes warm.

Industry offers another example. In northern Sweden, Vattenfall's partnerships with the steel & mining sector have demonstrated that steel can be produced using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen instead of coal.

“Through electrification, we can cut emissions and make households and businesses less exposed to fossil-fuel price shocks. These projects show what is possible under the current supply side framework. That is if we use it to its full potential instead of reopening it.” says Andreas Regnell, Vattenfall's Head of Strategic Development. 

“A steelmaker cannot electrify overnight. It means major investments, years of planning and decisions that must make financial sense for decades. A household replacing its gas boiler with a heat pump also needs confidence that the investment will make sense for years to come. So, Europe needs to decide: can households and businesses count on a clear, long-term commitment to electrification?” says Regnell.

Europe needs to make the choice for electrification once and for all as it designs its energy framework for the decade ahead by setting the direction, committing and just doing it. It's time for Europe to put electricity to work.