Manos Manousakis, President and CEO of IPTO, emphasized the need for Europe's operators to collaborate on the design of horizontal and vertical electricity transmission corridors at the pan-European level during his speech at the ENTSO-E General Assembly in Athens.

"We need at least three vertical corridors between North and South and two horizontal corridors between East and West,"  he said, in order to develop an integrated backbone network in the European Union.

He explained that these corridors would allow the transfer of increasing amounts of green energy between different geographical and climatic zones, with different seasonal needs and renewable potential, thus making a catalytic contribution to the continent's energy transition. 

He pointed out that, in order to build this backbone network, it is necessary to think in pan-European terms. To this end, he said, pan-European strategic planning is needed, which will take into account the functioning of the European system as a whole and facilitate the implementation of these large and complex projects.

Mr. Manousakis also underlined the great importance that international organisations such as the World Bank and the International Energy Agency attach to the development of the networks and the contribution of the operators as necessary conditions for the energy transition worldwide.

In this context, he stressed the importance of support for their work from governments, regulators, and financiers, adding that operators themselves must improve their business practices and keep up with technological developments in order to be able to attract investment.