Sector coupling: the future of sustainable energy

The electricity and gas networks will be increasingly integrated to allow a coordinated and optimized management of energy resources. For example, excess electricity produced from renewable sources can be used to produce hydrogen via water electrolysis. Hydrogen can be stored and subsequently used as a fuel in the gas sector or in the transport sector.

Integration will allow for greater flexibility in managing energy demand and supply. During periods of low electricity demand, excess electricity production from renewable sources can be converted into gas (power-to-gas) and stored. During demand peaks, the gas can be reconverted into electricity (gas-to-power). All this will be possible with a strong commitment to digitising all the infrastructures involved.

The inventory of emissions into the atmosphere breaks down the sources of emissions into 5 main sectors: Energy, Industrial processes, Agriculture, Land use, Waste. The Energy sector represents about 80% of total emissions for the year 2021 and, in turn, can be broken down into the subsectors: Energy Industries, Manufacturing and Construction Industries, Transport, Other sectors, Other and Fugitive Emissions.

Since 2005, GHG emissions from the Energy sector have been decreasing as a result of the policies adopted at European and national level to implement the production of energy from renewable sources. From the
same year, a further shift from petroleum products to natural gas was observed
in energy production as a result of the start of the emissions trading system of
eU greenhouse gases (EU ETS) on 1st January 2005.