PRIMES Energy System Model

The PRIMES model is designed to provide long-term energy system projections and system restructuring up to 2070, both in demand and supply sides. The model (including its transport module PRIMES-TREMOVE) can support impact assessment of specific energy, climate, transport and environment policies and measures, applied at Member State or EU level, including price signals, such as taxation, subsidies, ETS, as well as technology promoting policies, RES supporting policies, efficiency promoting policies, environmental policies and technology standards. The PRIMES model is sufficiently detailed to represent concrete policy measures in various sectors, including market design options for the EU internal electricity and gas markets. Policy analysis is based on comparative analysis of policy scenarios against a “baseline” projection.

Note: the model contributions indicated in this section focus on the assessment for policy options. In addition, this model is extensively used for the construction of the baseline in the EU Reference Scenario. This is indicated under the ‘additional information’ section for the related impact assessments. To learn more please see the following publications:

EU reference scenario 2016. Energy, transport and GHG emissions: trends to 2050, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016, https://doi.org/10.2833/9127

EU Reference Scenario 2020. Energy, Transport and GHG Emissions: Trends to 2050, Publications Office, Luxembourg, 2021, https://doi.org/10.2833/35750