The Sovereignty Lever: Why Grid Infrastructure Is Becoming Europe’s New Security Question

For the past decade, Europe’s energy conversation has been shaped by a single question: how quickly can we decarbonize? In 2026, a second question has become equally urgent: how quickly can we build without depending on someone else?

The shift is being driven by structural realities rather than political sentiment. Europe still imports 58% of its energy (Eurostat data), at a cost of more than €400 billion annually. In response, policymakers are increasingly framing energy infrastructure not only as a climate priority, but as a strategic asset. The European Commission’s European Grids Package, presented on 10 December 2025, aims to strengthen the resilience and security of cross-border energy infrastructure and to improve coordination, planning and permitting for European energy networks.

In other words, sovereignty is no longer a conference talking point. It is becoming a core principle of energy policy.

The clearest illustration of this shift is not found in policy documents. It is found in the equipment that keeps power systems running.

The increasing global demand for transformers, high-voltage cables, converters, and power electronics has substantially lengthened procurement and replacement timelines throughout the industry. Consequently, the capacity of a country to secure and expand its electricity system now relies more heavily on manufacturing capabilities, logistics networks, and supply chains located outside its national borders.

This is not primarily a generation challenge. Europe has no shortage of renewable energy ambition. The bottleneck lies in grid delivery and component availability, where energy security intersects directly with industrial capability.

The numbers are telling. China currently accounts for around a quarter of global transformer trade, and roughly 60% of global transformer production capacity. At the same time, approximately 1.7 TW of renewable energy capacity is waiting for grid connection across the EU.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply producing more energy. It is building the infrastructure needed to move, manage and integrate it at scale.

Against this backdrop, the discussion around sovereignty becomes highly practical. It is less about rhetoric and more about delivery capability.

As part of the VINCI Energies network, active in 36 countries through more than 570 business units, Omexom operates at the point where policy ambitions meet physical infrastructure. The company designs, builds, modernizes and maintains substations and transmission networks that determine whether energy can actually reach homes, businesses and industries.

Three areas of activity are particularly relevant to the sovereignty debate.

1. Reducing Single-Source Dependency Through Regional Delivery Capacity:

A resilient grid depends on a robust supply chain. Through regional delivery models and diversified supplier ecosystems, Omexom collaborates with multiple equipment manufacturers and technology providers instead of relying on a single supplier. This strategy enhances operational flexibility and mitigates exposure to geopolitical and procurement risks.

Notable examples include cross-border transmission projects, EPC substations delivered in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Africa, as well as overhead line programs implemented using local sourcing, multi-vendor integration, and regional expertise.

2. Unlocking Capacity from Existing Infrastructure:

“Building new infrastructure remains essential, but maximizing the value of existing assets can often deliver quicker benefits and with lower environmental impact. So, a country cannot accelerate its energy transition if grid infrastructure becomes the limiting factor. Modernizing and upgrading existing networks is now a strategic priority,” adds André.

 In particular, as Europe works through the expanding interconnection queue that supports its 1.7 TW renewable backlog, this strategy provides a workable option to alleviate grid congestion and expedite renewable integration.

3. Developing the Workforce Behind Grid Resilience:

Infrastructure resilience ultimately depends on people.

Across Europe, grid operators are reporting growing skills shortages in areas such as digital substations, SCADA systems and advanced grid analytics. These gaps pose a significant challenge because investment in hardware alone cannot deliver a resilient power system without the expertise required to design, commission and operate it.

André further adds, “Achieving the grid resilience will depend not only on technology, but also on the industry’s ability to overcome growing resource bottlenecks and develop expertise across critical disciplines.”

Omexom’s Digital Substation Training Centre reflects this reality, helping develop the specialized workforce needed to support an increasingly digital and interconnected grid.

As energy demand continues to rise, the organizations and nations best positioned for the decade ahead will be those that treat grid infrastructure as sovereignty infrastructure, not merely climate infrastructure. That distinction matters because, in the end, results determine resilience, not intentions.

This is not a novel position for Omexom. The purpose of substations, transmission networks, and distribution infrastructure has always been the same: to guarantee that electricity reaches people, regardless of where the electrons originate. What has changed is the broader understanding of what that infrastructure represents. It is no longer seen as just a component of the energy transition, but as a pillar of national security, strategic autonomy, and economic competitiveness.

Europe’s power generation may be defined by the energy transition. Whether Europe can use that power on its own terms will be decided by the grid.