In a new study on the region’s electricity market design, Eurelectric states that with around 70% of the planned new renewable capacity being connected to the distribution grids, these require reinforcement and expansion.

But for efficient and timely connection, the way the grids are developed needs to change from an essentially reactive approach to a ‘build-for-the-future’ approach that includes inter alia anticipatory investments.

“Getting our electricity networks fit for net zero should be a top priority in the coming years, both at EU and national level,” says Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric.

“This requires a new mindset among regulators and legislators. One that anticipates Europe’s capacity needs to integrate more renewable projects, and one that accommodates unprecedented electrification of transport, buildings and industry to match the speed and scale needed for Europe’s energy transition.”

The REPowerEU plan anticipates around 50 to 60 million heat pumps, 65 to 70 million electric vehicles (EVs) and over 600GW of additional renewable capacity by 2030.

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A scarcity of grid capacity translates into longer waits for connections, more congested areas and higher costs for network users.

In its earlier ‘Decarbonisation Speedways’ study, Eurelectric found that the EU currently invests €23 billion (US$25 billion) per year in grid infrastructure. However, the investment in distribution grids should reach no less than €38 billion per year until 2030 and up to €100 billion per year until 2050 to deliver on the decarbonisation’s agenda.

Eurelectric proposes in its report that the distribution networks should be planned at least 5 years ahead, with the option of reaching 10 years and with a 2050 horizon projection.

Further regulators must be flexible on DSO investment instruments, removing regulatory obstacles and adopting output-based remuneration taking into account both capex and opex.

EU policies and funds also must promote investments in the physical dimensioning of the grids. In this connection, dynamic line rating is one of the basic means to expand capacity.

Likewise, significant digitalisation efforts are needed and should be incentivised for grid management and forecasting and flexibility should be promoted, with local production and consumption stimulated.

A key for infrastructure development is permitting and Eurelectric urges for a “dedicated and permanently simplified procedure” for grid development, including a possible ‘one-stop-shop’ concept for a single permit for a generation project and the associated grid expansion.

Underlying much of these actions is the need for accurate information and Eurelectric calls for “robust data-sharing mechanisms” among the various players.

The Drakenstein Municipality project is an ongoing collaboration with clean tech developer Schneider Electric and system integrator partner, Altek.

Located 30 minutes outside of Cape Town, the Municipality has installed Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT switchgear with pure air technology and digital connectivity.

Installed in February 2023 at the Dalwes substation, the new technology is free from SF₆ gas (Sulphur hexafluoride) and its associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Shifting away from SF₆

The municipality’s choice to install the switchgear, forms part of their drive for clean growth and electricity distribution.

Vladimir Milovanovic, vice president of power systems for Schneider Electric Anglophone Africa: “Drakenstein Municipality is undoubtedly leading the way in establishing a modern, digitised infrastructure that enables it to remotely monitor equipment like the RM AirSeT switchgear which in turn allows for expanded network visibility, as well as preventative and proactive maintenance and problem solving.”

Added Alderman Conrad Poole, executive mayor of Drakenstein Municipality: “This project comes at a time when South Africa faces immense energy challenges. Being an early adopter of this pioneering technology will enable us to share lessons learnt with our peers.”

Mayor Poole here is referring to rolling blackouts in the country, known as loadshedding, due to the breakdown of TSO Eskom’s generating units.

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Identified by the Kyoto Protocol as one of six GHGs needed to be reduced, SF₆, a regulated fluorinated gas, is typically found in traditional gas-insulated switchgear and is 23,500 times more potent than CO2.

The gas currently has a special exemption for use in electrical distribution across geographies. However, as alternatives become more readily available, countries and territories are considering measures to restrict its use. For example, earlier this year in March, the European Parliament voted to accelerate the phase down of SF₆ and other fluorinated gases (F-gases) on the EU market.

Digital connectivity – SCADA update

Aside from the move to greener distribution, the switchgear is also being touted by the project partners as providing the municipality with heightened digital connectivity.

The municipality, serving a population of 305,281, will gradually replace its current 25-year-old SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) monitoring system with Schneider Electric’s ETAP system, which they describe as a model-driven electrical SCADA software solution.

Three of the municipality’s 36 substations are already online in the system. In the 2023/24 financial year, eight more substations will be brought online.

Explaining the system during the launch event was Altek managing director Alvin Naidoo, who stated the necessity of using SCADA: “We once looked at SCADA as a ‘nice to have’ but now it’s a way of life… [Through SCADA] we improve the efficiency of our network, reduce fault finding times and improve response times.”

According to Naidoo, the importance of the system comes in when looking at the use of data for consumption management:

“Based on simulation data, the system has features for load forecasting. We take simulation data, data that’s available in the repositories on the SQL (structured query language) and essentially amalgamate them and create load forecasting potential.”

Additionally, Schneider Electric states that the switchgear includes condition-based maintenance features, feeding data from its sensors to local field tools/apps and analytics tools, which can be hosted in the cloud or on premise, depending on requirements.

It also provides continuous condition monitoring and controls to check the quality of power connections, identify and isolate faults, as well as self-healing capabilities for reduced downtime.

The concept, an approach to managing the vegetation in the spaces beneath power lines – so-called ‘grid corridors’ – has come to be adopted increasingly by system operators but its rollout across Europe remains elusive.

This is according to the Renewables Grid Initiative, which reports engaging with the topic for many years and now taking the next steps to developing and implementing policies to advance it.

Integrated vegetation management is focussed on the ecological health of the grid corridors, while still removing vegetation which could interfere with the system security by touching a line.

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Typically, this involves the selective removal of fast growing trees and invasive species, while promoting low growing native plants and creating new habitats that thrive among these plant communities, as well as exploring new economic opportunities for local stakeholders.

Resultant benefits have been documented for nature, people and the grid operators alike, ranging from improvements in local biodiversity to the engagement of local actors in vegetation management support.

Indeed, a cost-benefit analysis by Elia of an initiative run together with the French TSO RTE and the Ecofirst cooperative consultancy has estimated integrated vegetation management to be up to almost four times less expensive than traditional management over 30 years.

As the first of the next steps, the Renewables Grid Initiative has launched a series of workshops for European TSOs and DSOs to share experiences and discuss pathways forward.

Outcomes from the first of these in June, which focussed largely on the LIFE Elia-RTE project, were the identification of three key priorities of which one is the need for guidance and potentially standardised methodologies to collect and disseminate the benefits of integrated vegetation management.

A second is the harmonisation of regulatory remuneration and financing mechanisms across the EU and the need for guidance on the funding mechanisms available.

Third is support on balancing nature restoration with access to the grid assets for maintenance purposes and the need for bird protection.

These and other activities will now be addressed further in the second of the Initiative’s steps, a new working group of European TSOs and DSOs, which has been formed with the aim of moving towards a coordinated approach to integrated vegetation management in the region.

The study, aimed to investigate the impact of the large-scale integration of hydrogen electrolysers to the grid, points to hydrogen as complementary to electrification for decarbonisation targets rather than a target in itself, with the first applications likely to be for substituting grey hydrogen in present industrial processes.

However, electrolysers will progressively become an additional system element, which implies that it should be planned and operated synergically with the rest of the energy system.

The report identifies four key issues, i.e. the relationship between supply and demand, the use cases and their impact on the grids, flexibility and the impact on system planning.

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As a new system component, the recognition of green hydrogen requires an ad-hoc scheme, valid across jurisdictions, for the infeed electricity encompassing the additionality principle, in order to avoid double counting and greenwashing as well as cannibalisation of other decarbonisation processes.

In addition, there needs to be both geographical and time correlation to ensure the utilised renewable energies are not impaired by grid congestion.

At the grid operation level, in order to better exploit the variability of renewable energies, the flexible operation of the power system requires to decouple as much as possible the profiles of green hydrogen production from hydrogen consumption.

This means having enough storage elements both in the power system and in the hydrogen system.

With this, the hydrogen system also can provide long-term flexibility, through storage of excess renewables in gas reservoirs, as well as adequacy support.

Short-term flexibility services also are possible via demand response and balancing from electrolysers.

In terms of planning hydrogen projects should be designed and assessed starting from the end use case, volumes and costs, not from the supply side, which must follow the needs of the end user.

From the energy system point of view, the deployment pace of electrolysers should match the increase of the large amount of additional renewables volumes required for producing green hydrogen, in order not to cannibalise other decarbonisation processes.

Other infrastructure, such as pipelines and storage facilities, also need to be coordinated with grid developments as well as end user needs.

The report also notes ‘hydrogen valleys’ as a promising configuration for starting the development of comprehensive use cases.

In conclusion, the report highlights the need for a ‘one system’ view, noting that the viability of hydrogen projects is both case and country-dependent.

Win-win solutions matching business needs with system requirements must be found in order to maximise the benefits for all stakeholders.

For a smooth but fast transition phase, repurposing the gas grid, also through initial blending, is suggested as a viable and smart option to enable a gradual phase-out of natural gas and set-up of a hydrogen market.

Aiming to bring together industry leaders to raise awareness about the grids’ crucial role in the energy transition and develop input for EU-level policy discussions, the immense investment needed to reinforce the grid stood out as a key topic.

“Let’s make no mistake: investments in the grid will be needed,” said Damian Cortinas, chairman of the board of ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity.

“Even if we (fully leverage) digitalisation and coordination with and between TSOs; even then we will need massive investments to connect new generation, for the solidarity between regions and countries of Europe and, in particular, for the sharing of flexibilities we will need for tomorrow.”

The grids forum is the latest initiative coming from European Associations to spotlight the state of the grid and the initiative needed to get it ready for a net-zero scenario.

Earlier this week, Eurelectric reported the need to prioritise grid expansion to meet Fit or 55 and REPowerEU goals, and the European distribution system operator (DSO) association E.DSO set out key pledges for the future grid with a call for investment to be high on the EU’s future agenda.

Investment first

According to Simson, one of the keynote speakers during the forum, although there are several key topics to tackle in readying the power grid, “the first one is investment.

“Europe needs to invest €584 billion ($624.6 billion) by 2030 to modernise and expand its grids. This is huge. But we can get there.”

Referencing an announcement from the European Investment Bank (EIB) back in July of additional financing of 50% (€15 billion ($16 billion)) to the REPowerEU Plan, Simson pointed out how there has been initiative to fast track financing.

“The proposed new electricity market reform will also make a difference. We expect it to change the remuneration mechanism for grid projects and boost anticipatory investments.”

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Regulation and interconnection

The second key issue to address, adds Simson, is that of regulatory barriers. Namely, the potential offered by breaking them down and fast tracking procedures.

Third was that of the importance of cross-border interconnection, as highlighted by the energy crisis.

Stated Simson: “Europe stands to gain much if we revitalise regional cooperation and make progress on cross-border interconnections.

“ENTSO-E’s latest 10-year network development plan 2022 shows how Europe needs to invest €6 billion ($6.4 billion) per year to 2040 on cross-border infrastructure; the 15% interconnection target is not just a benchmark – it is the best way to bolster our security of supply and competitiveness.”

Digitalisation and industrialisation

As the fourth point, Simson emphasized that we need to have more efficient grids by digitalising our energy system and investing in smart grids.

“With increasing shares of solar and wind, it’s becoming more important to match demand and supply. This requires real time data and pricing, allowing consumers, business and smart energy appliances to respond to the system’s needs.”

The fifth and final point that Simson highlighted is that of industrial and commercial opportunities for the grid.

“We all read the reports of project delayed or suspended because waiting times for components go beyond 2030, or because of rising costs.

“But let’s not forget that the three largest cable manufacturers in the world are based here in Europe. If we are to boost out industrial capacity, expand the pool of skilled labour, improve supply chain, all of this would turn into jobs , growth and opportunities.”

Simson here referred to the Net Zero Industry Act, one of many tabled back in March 2023 that aim to drive Europe’s prowess within the energy transition by, among other points, boosting European supply chains and upskilling the workforce.

Further conclusions to each of the discussed topics will be released in the coming weeks.

The flexibility, or capacity-limiting, contracts are being used to coordinate electricity supply for operations of a construction project for the emission-free dyke improvement between Tiel and Waardenburg in the Netherlands, on behalf of the Rivierenland Water Board.

The WattHub, completed earlier this year in July, provides electricity for more than 40 construction vehicles and trucks simultaneously.

But in the Netherlands, grid reliability has been a recurring issue; bottlenecks have been a consistent concern with the latest announced by Liander in August across three cities.

To maintain continuous supply to the hub, the Dutch utility has drawn up capacity-limiting contracts for wind supplier Betuwewind and solar developer Avri Solar BV, whereby electricity feed-in from the companies is flexibly coordinated.

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Reserve supply for continuous charging

A fast-charging plaza in Geldermalsen, the WattHub currently relies on energy from Betuwewind’s wind supply, with Avri Solar’s supply earmarked for the future.

According to Liander, the plaza’s batteries need to be full before the working day starts; at night, when space is usually available on the electricity grid, Betuwewind now uses electricity from the grid in case there is insufficient wind.

For other times, when scarcity remains, through the capacity-limiting contract, Liander can call on entrepreneurs to temporarily reduce the feed-in of electricity.

This creates more space on the grid, and the grid operator can realise additional connections for the wind and solar parks.

For example, states Liander, Betuwewind was instructed to feed back two megawatts less power for an hour to prevent overloading on the grid. Betuwewind duly complied and any loss of income was compensated.

In this way, the share of sustainable energy in the region is growing, they state, and bottlenecks can be prevented.

The initiative is the latest in the country to enhance grid management through flexibility.

Earlier this year in June, Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy of the Netherlands Rob Jetten announced intention to appoint a flexibility coordinator, signalling its importance for the country’s grid system going forward.

According to Liander, this project is yet another sign that flexibility of energy demand will be necessary to make optimal use of the grid.

Electric utilities are being asked to do what may seem like the impossible. They need to rapidly modernise to accommodate the transition to renewables and two-way power flow. They have to improve the reliability of a rickety grid, a lot of which is past its prime.

They must make both new and old infrastructure resilient to climate change disruptions to head off more frequent outages and catastrophic fires and regulators and customers want all this without big rate hikes.

No one solution can resolve all these challenges. But inspection automation is certain to play a part. It can help with modernisation, reliability and resilience while being a net positive in terms of cost. The latest T&D inspection technology can transform operations.

It partially automates everything from new power line siting to diagnosing problems on existing equipment. It leverages the power of AI to alert managers before a transformer blows or check a pole that’s way overdue for replacement. The data it collects provides the agility, visibility and deep insight organisations need to move from reactive to predictive maintenance.

T&D inspection at the speed of flight

Advanced inspection can be used to monitor for all sorts of maintenance issues in transmission power line structures. The process begins with a drone or crewed aircraft equipped with a combination of data capture technologies: thermal sensing, computer vision, high-definition photography and geo-positioning flying over the T&D line. At the speed of flight, the aircraft collects images and heat data along the entire line.

This creates a wealth of data: visual, thermal and geospatial. Depending on the length of a T&D line, this can mean millions of images. That’s where AI automation comes in. An AI-driven platform can automatically upload, tag, organise and analyse multiple data types and sources. It can sort through imagery rapidly, flagging only those images that show suspected anomalies or vegetation problems, with detail down to a few millimeters.

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Technicians review only these instead of combing through a drop box full of images that all look so similar that it’s easy to miss something. Though the full record of images is there in case a need arises. What was a manual job that previously took field techs and linemen months is done in a fraction of the time.

An AI platform can then provide specific recommendations on repairs or vegetation management, prioritising those that need immediate attention. More than that, the O&M team gets a GIS-true, 3D visualisation of the entire line with a timestamped record for each pole: location, asset health, defect type, severity of problems and state of vegetation. It’s a complete record of the assets at one moment in time, providing baseline data that allows managers to move from reactive or scheduled maintenance to predictive maintenance. Failures are tracked over time, and AI determines what needs repair or an upgrade before it can cause a power disruption.

Precision inspections for distribution poles

The US’s 160 to 180 million power distribution poles are a weak link in our electric power system. They are increasingly vulnerable to more frequent and intense hurricanes, winter bomb cyclones, atmospheric rivers, drought, fires and high temperatures. One study examining two major East Coast cities found that accelerated wood decay from a harsher environment can increase total maintenance cost for these poles to between 6% and 8%, based on standard utility practices and how much temperatures climb.

By examining the full height of poles, advanced inspections using drones can improve the insights collected during traditional wood pole inspections. Without a bucket truck, O&M teams can:

• Detect unusual heat signatures not likely to be caught by visual RGB sensors and ground inspection crews.
• Check the full height of poles and cross-arms and photo-document all kinds of issues: the extent of insect infestation, rot from moisture, rodent chewing, woodpecker holes, damage from fire charring or lightning strikes and large knots and horizontal cracks that may weaken the pole.
• Look at poles from above to see split tops.
• Find failed lightning arrestors.
• Document and assess burn marks from transformer failures or conductor faults.
• Detect failed fused switches on capacitor banks or overhead fused disconnects.
• Assess whether hardware at heights needs tightening due to pole shrinkage.
• Identify damaged or missing insulators or brackets and fraying guy wires and support cables.
• Plus, pinpointing when to replace or reinforce poles to meet the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) has a significant upside. Companies that nail this interval with precision can optimise their maintenance budgets.

How to capitalise on funding to adopt advanced inspection technology

In the last network-infrastructure review, the US Department of Energy found that approximately 70% of the US grid’s transmission lines are over 25 years old, and the average age of large power transformers, which handle 90% of the nation’s electricity flow, is more than 40 years. Some of our country’s electricity networks are over a century old and most distribution poles have been in the ground for 50 or more years, past their expected useful life.

This reality poses economic and security threats. The federal government responded in 2022 with a five-year grant program providing over $450 million annually to states and tribal nations to improve grid resilience and prevent disruptions. Qualifying projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill include:

• Utility pole upkeep and removal of trees and other vegetation affecting grid performance.
• Undergrounding electrical equipment.
• Relocating or reconductoring power lines.
• Improvements to make the grid resistant to extreme weather.
• Implementing monitoring, controls and advanced modeling for real-time situational awareness.

Advanced inspection technology helps with most of these, including the data collection and analysis necessary for tracking and reporting metrics, a funding prerequisite. Utilities seeking grants to modernize operations with this sort of automation have a strong case. 

Mission Possible: Modernisation, reliability, and resilience

No infrastructure inspection can be entirely automated. Utilities will always need human judgment as part of the analysis of T&D inspection data. But monitoring that combines aerial data capture and visual analysis using AI is an essential advance for the industry.

Frontline workforces and managers can do more with less since surveys are completed faster without additional manpower. Utilities get important data that can help head off outages. They get near-real-time visibility into asset health and a view over time.

Advanced inspection technology brings the power of data to electric power system operations, which can translate into measurable payback. Deloitte found that, on average, predictive maintenance increases productivity by 25%, reduces breakdowns by 70% and lowers maintenance costs by 25%. With this kind of time and cost savings, utilities can invest in additional resources that further boost reliability for the energy transition.

About the author:

Andrew Maximow leads the Utility US Sales team for Zeitview and has a career spanning over 20 years in fast-growth technology domains, progressively moving from engineering to leadership roles. Maximow possesses BS & MS degrees in Industrial & Systems Engineering.

Backed by Innovate UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and government teams in India, and delivered by Energy Systems Catapult in partnership with the Indian Institute for Science (IISc), ITES will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to test, fund and fast-track their innovations to market that help decarbonise transport in India and the UK.

ITES will offer a ‘soft-landing’ for the SMEs, helping to safely develop, test and export solutions that help decarbonise transport. The collaboration will also help SMEs tackle scalability with go-to-market support and access to potential clients, funders and investment.

This first cohort of 20 UK-based SMEs includes teams in the fields of intelligent electricity system services, battery management, charging systems, energy storage, fleet optimisation, hydrogen and rail.

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The different working areas and their respective SMEs include:

Intelligent electricity system Services

• Flock Energy, which uses machine learning to transform energy usage in factories and help them digitalise their operations. The company has developed proprietary algorithms that optimise energy consumption, improving efficiency and productivity.
  
• Terranow, which uses the potential of generative AI to unlock optimal efficiency in the generation and use of energy through focused solutions for forecasting, control and coordination.

Battery recycling and management

• Aceleron Energy, which develops advanced lithium batteries, aiming to accelerate the global shift to cleaner, more renewable energy and to drive sustainable battery technology.
  
• Faraday Battery Limited, which manufactures battery-packs up to 1MW scale for electric vehicles, including tractors, vans, buses and trucks. vehicle, it significantly reduces the lifecycle cost of the electric bus/truck.
  
• Nexmu, which focuses primarily on electric mobility and energy storage. The Nexmu team has integrated its battery management system and related capabilities in the electric powertrain into a single cloud-based platform.

Charging systems

• char.gy, which manufactures amd operatres charging infrastructure, funding, installing, operating and maintaining EV charge points for private landlords and local authorities for their residents who do not have off-street parking.
  
• Entrust Microgrid, chich specialises in smart microgrid systems that maximise user benefits from embedded solar PV, energy storage system, EV charger and other smart energy appliances, and provide the grid with flexibility.
  
• Petalite, which is a second-generation EV charging company that aims to solve the challenges impeding the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure.
  
• [ui!]uk urban integrated ltd, which is an IT consultancy advising local authorities, cities and metropolitan regions in their strategic planning and in the implementation and operation of smart city infrastructures and e-mobility solutions, such as charge point management systems and mobility service provider apps.
  
• Vertical Solar, which is a renewables developer aiming to bring to market new products that remove the traditional constraints associated with solar deployments.
  
• Voltempo, which develops ultra-high power EV charging hubs for heavy vehicle fleets and public service stations.

Energy storage and delivery

• Energineering LTD, which is a consultancy in the realm of industrial energy efficiency and project development. The last five years have seen the team concentrate on developing innovative energy storage solutions, including its patented MECHAPRES system, which uses a combination of reversible heat pumping and Composite Phase Change Material, latent thermal storage to support the needs of decentralised microgrids and DC EV Charging stations.
  
• LiNa Energy, which is developing and commercialising low-cost, solid-state sodium batteries as a safer, more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion. LiNa’s innovation is based on a novel sodium-metal-chloride planar cell, which they state unlocks the high power/energy density potential of established sodium battery chemistry.
  
• PowerUp, which provides an Energy as a Service model, replacing fossil fuel generators with battery PowerStations, using AI algorithms to predict battery behaviours and facilitate just-in-time swapping with renewable energy-charged replacements.

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Fleet optimisation

• Flexible Power Systems, which aims to address the increased complexity, risks and cost arising from EV adoption.
  
  The company’s platform provides automated EV fleet and charger management for van, bus, truck or mixed fleets that integrates data from across the business for a view of fleet operations. Part of what this enables, states the company, is the management of power constraints to avoid expensive grid upgrades.

Rail

• Riding Sunbeams, which decarbonises rail traction networks through the development and connection of unsubsidised, direct-wire renewable energy supply.
  
  Riding Sunbeams is now working to develop and demonstrate the required technology to connect solar power and line-side energy storage to feed the Alternating-Current (AC), overhead line railways that make up most of the world’s electrified rail networks.

Hydrogen

• AqSorption, which builds renewable energy systems, concentrating on biogas and combined heat and power plants. Following a series of enhancements to its gasification technology, AqSorption has successfully adapted to move into production of hydrogen.
  
  
• Innervated Vehicle Engineering (IVe), which transforms diesel vans into hydrogen fuel cell vans, offering an alternative to diesel.
  
  
• JET Engineering Services, which works with and on behalf of customers to deliver solutions to technical engineering problems. Following a recent contract award to deliver a hydrogen production system on the subcontinent, and changing priorities in global markets, the company took a strategic decision to redirect its efforts into the green hydrogen sector, and has embarked on a programme to develop a range of projects and products to support this.
  
  
• Logan Energy, which specialises in the delivery of integrated engineering solutions incorporating hydrogen technologies for production through to refuelling.
  
  The team offers a full turnkey service, from project inception & feasibility, design development, manufacturing, installation, and operation and maintenance.
  
  Logan Energy has designed, built, and installed hydrogen production and refuelling stations, and are currently constructing further stations for buses, vans, passenger vehicles, and heavy-duty vehicles.

The 20 SMEs will have access to a range of acceleration support – from start-up mentoring and incubation services, to market research and real-world pilots with Indian businesses that help prove new products on the ground.

Paul Jordan, business leader for innovator support & international at Energy Systems Catapult, commented: “It’s a real pleasure to announce such a strong cohort of SMEs to join us at the start of this major innovation initiative between the UK and India.

“They represent some of the highest-priority innovations needed to tackle transport decarbonisation – from cutting-edge hydrogen, rail, and fleet solutions, to battery storage and management, and other technologies and services that can enable an electric vehicle-ready infrastructure.

“By helping these UK innovators to collaborate, commercialise and trial their solutions in the world’s fifth biggest economy, we hope to both turbocharge decarbonisation efforts and help unleash the economic potential that innovation offers.”

The Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems initiative was launched in May this year.

Namely, all parties involved in the deployment of charging infrastructure, including governments, charge point operators (CPOs), transmission and distribution system operators (TSOs/DSOs), need to start planning as soon as possible to meet the charging needs of battery electric trucks.

According to the Federation’s survey, Grid Readiness for HDV Charging, this will involve:

• Analysing future charging demand and where it will occur;
  
• Creating awareness of grid operators of what this future demand would mean for their grid planning;
  
• Accelerating administrative and permitting procedures;
  
• Breaking up silo thinking by bringing all stakeholders involved together.

According to T&E, the regulation on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR) obliges EU member states to ensure the deployment of recharging pools dedicated to heavy-duty EVs.

However, these targets have raised questions addressing the suitability of existing distribution networks to support its development, as well as of the required actions to make network connections available.

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Key findings

According to T&E’s survey, the following key findings were derived regarding the readiness of the European distribution network, in mind of the targets set by AFIR:

• AFIR ambition:

The AFIR targets specify two metrics: timelines and distance as well as capacity.

The timelines of the targets, in general, were perceived as the more problematic metric.

Regarding a 2025 deadline for heavy-duty infrastructure, given the short remaining time, even at sites where sufficient network capacity is available, timely implementation will be challenging, states the Federation.

If any permitting procedures are required, implementation seems more unrealistic, necessitating a delay to 2027 or 2028.

However, for 2030, the general feedback was that the volumes specified in the proposals are challenging but feasible. Nevertheless, at least in certain regions, network development is required to meet the AFIR targets.

• Planning and permitting

According to the survey’s findings, the challenging character of the proposed timelines is even more evident as usual periods for network planning and permitting in several EU member states are very long.

If high voltage (HV) lines are included, procedures may take more than a decade, hence planning periods may already now conflict with 2030 targets.

Additionally, existing legal frameworks do not allow an acceleration of permitting processes.

From this perspective, states the survey, the time until AFIR enters into force is even more problematic.

• DSO awareness and focus

DSOs, states T&E, will only be able to successfully tackle the challenges related to AFIR targets with an anticipating and proactive approach, sufficient resources and respective corporate cultures.

The report states how specific national policy instruments incentivising DSOs may also be needed, at least in a transitional period until 2030.

However, incentives should not focus only on charging infrastructure for heavy-duty EVs but rather stimulate provision of connections in general, i.e. also for renewables.

While the distribution network perspective is important, T&E adds that requirements need to be set by transport demand and patterns.

Involving DSOs in the identification of potential sites, they state, will likely accelerate grid connection and reduce costs in some cases.

• Studies needed

Nearly all stakeholders mentioned ongoing studies matching scenarios for charging hubs with network development needs.

Lessons learned from national studies should thus be compiled at the EU level, states the survey, and findings should be disseminated among involved stakeholders as well as among different member states.

This would also minimise the risk of supply gaps in border regions and for transit routes.

• Coordination of Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and distribution network planning

The report states how, at EU and national levels, planning of motorway infrastructure and distribution networks, so far, is not coordinated. This also applies to EU funding, although there is potential for improvement.

According to T&E’s report, ambitious policy targets correctly reflect the expected growth in demand for charging infrastructure.

However, political targets should be in line with actual charging needs. This helps DSOs and other stakeholders plan strategically and communicate their needs and challenges to policymakers.

The Federation adds how, although there will be charging hubs which are crucial for geographic coverage, they will not be economically viable due to low customer intensity and thus low utilisation.

These require special attention in planning but even more in implementation and suitable policy instruments, such as subsidies and service obligations, which will need to be applied.

Put simply, smart metering is key to managing energy, water and gas consumption effectively. And critically, Lightweight Machine-to-Machine (LwM2M) technology plays a pivotal role in making smart metering more efficient and responsive. Let’s explore how.

Understanding smart metering

Smart metering solutions provide valuable, real-time insights into resource consumption. In contrast, traditional metering systems suffer from a host of limitations. These include infrequent data collection, reliance on manual readings and limited visibility into real-time consumption. These systems also often fail to detect anomalies or leaks promptly, leading to wastage and higher user costs.

But how does LwM2M fit in here? LwM2M both facilitates and improves smart metering. It has the capability to enhance its efficiency and accuracy (if the LwM2M data model is in use) while boosting its real-time monitoring capabilities.

Through IoT device management, LwM2M ensures seamless smart metering connectivity, transforming how we monitor resource use.

LwM2M: Unveiling the technology

At the heart of today’s smart metering revolution is the Lightweight Machine-to-Machine (LwM2M) technology, designed for efficiency, scale and interoperability. Key features and advantages include:

• Lightweight: Consumes less bandwidth and power, making it cost-effective and ideal for large-scale IoT deployments. With LwM2M, IoT-based smart metering systems can offer massive benefits without bloated hardware and data storage.
• Efficient: Enhanced transmission rates enable swift and accurate data flow.
• Remote management: IoT device management is seamless, offering real-time monitoring and control.

In smart metering, LwM2M has a capability to foster robust machine-to-machine communication. It may simplify data transmission, making it faster and more reliable, and amplifies remote management capabilities, transforming how we monitor and control infrastructure elements such as routers, gateways and last but not least smart meters.

LwM2M in energy consumption monitoring

LwM2M supercharges smart metering systems, boosting their capabilities in energy management:

• Real-time data: LwM2M enables instantaneous data collection and analysis, offering immediate feedback to consumers. The result? Smarter, more efficient energy use.
• Demand response programmes: LwM2M can integrate with these programmes, allowing utility providers to adjust power production based on real-time demand, reducing waste and improving service reliability.
• Predictive maintenance: Leveraging LwM2M, IoT-based smart metering systems can predict maintenance needs, preventing malfunctions before they occur.

In essence, LwM2M transforms cellular IoT smart meters into proactive, precise instruments for energy monitoring and management, offering yet more benefits of smart metering.

LwM2M in water metering

LwM2M is a game changer in the field of smart water metering, driving accuracy and sustainability:

• Accurate measurement: By enabling precise data collection, LwM2M ensures consumers are only charged for actual water usage.
• Leak detection: The technology allows for early detection of leaks, preventing wastage and reducing utility bills.
• Remote monitoring: With LwM2M, consumers have real-time insight into their water consumption, promoting conscious usage and sustainability.

Essentially, LwM2M empowers consumers with the data they need to make informed decisions, optimizing water use.

LwM2M in gas metering

LwM2M transforms the landscape of gas metering, heightening safety and efficiency:

• Real-time monitoring: LwM2M enables live tracking and analysis of gas consumption, ensuring optimal usage and cost-efficiency.
• Anomaly detection: The technology excels in spotting irregular gas usage, helping prevent wastage.
• Leak prevention and safety: LwM2M enhances safety by promptly identifying potential gas leaks, helping to prevent accidents and property damage.

By integrating LwM2M into gas metering systems, users gain a more detailed, real-time understanding of their consumption habits. It’s a leap forward in gas safety and efficiency.

Final thoughts on LwM2M

LwM2M isn’t just a step forward in smart metering; it’s a leap. Revolutionizing energy, water, and gas management delivers real-time insights, enhanced safety and waste reduction. It’s not just about better resource management; it’s about smarter, more sustainable living. The future of smart metering is here, powered by LwM2M.

About AVSystem:

At AVSystem, we pride ourselves on being a trusted and reliable partner for IoT deployments. We understand that proper device management is crucial to the success of any IoT project, which is why we have built our reputation on providing best-in-class solutions to ensure that our clients achieve scalability, interoperability and security.

Website: https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/ 

Anjay IoT SDK: https://www.avsystem.com/anjay/

Coiote IoT Device Management Platform: https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/

The study, The Road to Transportation Decarbonization: Readying the Grid for Electric Fleets, was conducted jointly by the grid operator and the tech major to investigate the significant impact this electrification will have on the grid.

Namely, for the US grid to accommadate the much needed electrificaiton of heavy duty transport such as buses, trucks and vans, the study touts five key findings:

1: Region-specific strategy needed

According to the study, certain regions will experience grid impacts from MHDV electrification in the near future. Specifically, multi-megawatt charging loads from fleet clusters, or even a single depot, will quickly strain grid capacity in these areas.

As large fleets or states establish clear electrification targets or mandates, early adopters of electric MHDVs will place significant demands on the grid.

Utilities and policymakers must anticipate and prepare for these near-term loads and grid impacts, employing strategies tailored to each specific region’s needs.

2: Future-minded strategic investment

The study underscores the importance of coordinated investments in areas with high forecast electrification to minimise long-term costs and expedite electrification.

Namely, data, tools and forecast methods should be used to identify priority investment areas as well as locations requiring minimal, or deferred, infrastructure upgrades; these areas can then be aligned with fleet electrification and utility investment plans.

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3: Updating regulation

The research highlights the necessity for evolving regulatory and planning structures to accommodate MHDV electrification.

According to the research, the majority of the electric load scenarios identified fall outside the scope of typical utility planning and regulatory processes. It is thus crucial to develop anticipatory planning and investment processes and regulatory mechanisms that can adapt to the rapidly evolving needs of electric MHDVs.

4: Grid infrastructure upgrades

According to the study, an optimal grid infrastructure strategy for MHDV electrification will vary by location.

Different infrastructure strategies, states the research, such as electric network reconfiguration, multi-value grid infrastructure upgrades, and non-wires solutions such as storage, can effectively support electric MHDVs depending on the unique circumstances and requirements of each location.

Stakeholders, it states, should thus consider the specific needs of each location when devising an infrastructure strategy, enabling utilities to invest in solutions that not only address immediate demands but also accommodate long-term charging growth.

5: Collaborative efforts

The study emphasizes the necessity for new forms of partnership and cooperation to facilitate the transition to electric MHDVs.

Such collaboration among fleet operators, MHDV manufacturers, utilities, and other stakeholders, states the research, will be crucial to coordinate investments, assess charging needs and overcome barriers to charging deployment.

This is according to the IEA’s Facilitating Decarbonisation in Emerging Economies Through Smart Charging report, which looks at how decarbonisation can be facilitated through smart charging.

According to the report, although there are several requirements for smart charging to take place, the power sector has a unique role that can’t be overlooked, namely in establishing the foundations of how EVs can be used as a resource.

The potential of smart charging on the power system lies largely in its potency as a flexible asset, states the report, enabling widespread renewable penetration and consumption management.

EV proliferation

According to the report, while most of the uptake of EVs is found in the US, Europe and China, EVs are also starting to penetrate markets in emerging economies.

Electric two- and three-wheelers are more common in Asia, with sales of electric three-wheelers constituting 46% of total three-wheeler sales in the fiscal year of 2022. Meanwhile, electric buses are gaining ground in Latin America, where most have reached cost parity with diesel buses.

These trends are likely to continue as these economies set more adoption targets for the end of the decade.

However, to accommodate the increasing uptake, the necessary charging infrastructure will be needed to coordinate the increasing electric load coming onto the grid.

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While the energy required by EVs is low compared with typical daily electricity consumption, the IEA states how ensuring enough grid capacity will be the more important parameter given the high-power requirements that the charging process can take.

Charging of two- and three-wheelers may not lead to significant increases in peak load until a high level of penetration, whereas charging of buses will raise peak load and often require dedicated transformers.

The role of smart charging

This, states the IEA, is where smart charging needs to be more widely adopted, as it provides an avenue of integrating the EV into the power system where the charging process can be adjusted to be in line with power system objectives.

Said objectives could be voltage regulation and reduction of local peak in the distribution grid, or frequency regulation and energy arbitrage in the bulk energy system.

Smart charging of EV fleets can provide a good source of power system flexibility, increasing the uptake of renewables while maintaining power system stability.

However, for smart charging to be coordinated optimally and support the system, it needs to be able to adjust in response to system signals.

States the report: “The faster the EVs can react, the more services it can provide. Such high levels of coordination can happen only through digitalisation.

“With the help of telecommunications and connectivity, smart charging service providers can exist to help serve as intermediaries to balance the needs of the EV users, charge point operators and power systems.”

Power system measures missing

According to the report, the main signals which can serve as rewards or sources of value for EV users and smart charging service providers are:

• Differentiated tariffs: Tariffs which vary rates based on time of day to incentivise the behaviour of EV users about when to charge their cars

• Procurement of local flexibility: Distribution grid operators enter into contracts with aggregators or charging service providers to manipulate the charging process to achieve local needs.

• Wholesale energy market access: Whereby vehicles can participate in changing the supply-demand curve to lower peak generation and increase renewables consumption.

• Ancillary services market access: Allowing aggregated EVs to respond to system services such as frequency response.

In advanced economies such as California, South Korea, the Netherlands and the UK, each of these power system measures is widespread or in progress, with the exception of procurement of local flexibility in South Korea.

However, for the studied emerging economies, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Maharashtra, Morocco, South Africa, Tamil Nadu, Thailand, Tunisia, Uttar Pradesh and Vietnam, the opposite is true.

Differentiated tariffs were found to be the most common measure, although not absent in Colombia and Morocco.

The only other measure found was that of ancillary services in South Africa and in progress in Chile.

Moving forward

According to the IEA’s findings, depending on the degree of EV integration desired by the economy in question, different technological and regulatory frameworks will need to be deployed for the sector to facilitate a fair and efficient smart charging process.

Specifically, they state, the following recommendations are made to establish a smart charging ecosystem:

• Establish a framework for demand response in the power system, which could be implicit via tariff variation or explicit through direct bidding of demand in wholesale and balancing markets.
  
• Ensure standardisation and interoperability; said standards could be set by tying them to charging infrastructure incentives, as a de facto standard based on public tenders, or legislated directly as a regulation
  
• Establish minimum requirements for smart communication and control, thereby ensure future EV uptake will instill the ability to participate in smart charging
  
• Ensure matching with clean electricity, whereby signals to charge could come either from the electricity market through wholesale prices, or from end-consumer electricity prices that reflect the best time to consume clean electricity
  
• Reform the role of distribution operators from passive owners and providers of network capacity into active managers of an interconnected system that can help activate EVs’ full potential

The project EDGE (Energy from Distributed Resources for the Management of the E-Distribuzione Network) aims to test and establish the most appropriate solution for the procurement of local ancillary services and related remuneration in Italy.

The project will initially cover areas in four provinces, Cuneo and Venice in the north of Italy and Benevento and Foggia in the south.

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“We are incredibly excited to launch this new market alongside E-Distribuzione, which is setting a new, leading standard for what can be achieved through DSO flexibility markets,” says James Johnston, CEO and co-founder of Piclo.

“This unparalleled development across Europe marks a new era for these markets including short-term flexibility services, greater integrations and end-to-end automation and ultimately improved network decarbonisation and resilience. We can’t wait to get going.”

The EDGE project is focussed on providing active power regulation services, in order to comply with network constraints in both normal operating conditions and reconfigurations caused by failures or scheduled works.

Potential resources that can participate include production and consumption units, battery storage units and electric vehicle charging systems with delivery from both residential and non-residential users.

Piclo Flex as an independent marketplace will provide the end-to-end solution to acquire and dispatch the flexibility services to E-Distribuzione’s networks.

For Piclo the project marks a further step in the growing use of the platform around the world by network operators, including four DNOs and the TSO in the UK as well as others in Ireland, Portugal, Lithuania and New York state in the US.

As of 2022, Piclo Flex had 55,000 registered flexible assets representing 16.6GW of flex capacity, with flexibility contracts awarded totalling £58 million (US$73 million) and 1.1GW+ of flexible capacity procured.

E-Distribuzione is part of the Enel Group and is the largest DSO in Italy.

The EDGE project was initiated in response to the EU’s Clean Energy Package and the growing need for flexibility in Italy, with the government’s plan to add at least 70GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 to cover 30% of the gross energy consumption.

While the full visual design has not yet been made public, ‘New Energies’ is described as a multi-functional system aimed to make the most of the natural elements – sun, light, wind and rain – and combining energy efficiency with an optimal balance between the investments and the economic, environmental and social benefits.

In this way it is intended to be versatile and to meet the need to modernise the electrical infrastructure with a sustainable footprint throughout its lifecycle.

Features include rooftop solar panels, a porous floor that lets in rainwater and prevents the formation of heat islands and a wave fence with a modular grid design that lets in light and wind.

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In addition, plants will be grown all around the substation with the adoption of the Miyawaki method, which involves the dense planting of fast growing smaller native species under taller trees.

The primary goal of the challenge was to create a sustainable modular architecture for primary substations, with a high level of versatility and replicability and optimisation of the space.

A key goal was that the infrastructure needs to blend in with the environment, with an innovative design combining safety with flexibility and with improved visual, functional and spatial impact.

The challenge attracted 36 entries from engineers, academia, designers and architecture and construction companies from 16 countries, and was adjudged by a similarly multi-disciplinary panel.

Other proposals that were awarded special prizes and will be implemented in existing facilities were from the Rome-based architecture practice NEXT Urban Solutions in collaboration with the visual artist Filippo Riniolo, by architects Andrea Bautista and Jessica García Huachez and from the Milan design practice Vittorio Grassi Architects.

Enel states that the primary substation design challenge forms part of a larger process that Enel Grids has set in motion aimed at modernising and redesigning the key elements of the distribution networks.

Earlier redesigns have focussed on the design and structure of meters, street cabinets, secondary substations and power line supports and the next step is on the larger and more complex infrastructure.

The approximately 30 different challenges launched over the last two years have led to hundreds of proposals based on more circular practices “to increase grid automation and digitalisation, deliver state-of-the-art solutions that ensure safety and productivity in field operations and reduce the environmental and economic impact of building new facilities, with a special focus on biodiversity and harmonious integration with the local environment and thereby eliminate the carbon footprint of the grids”, the company states.

Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Spain, Norway, Luxembourg, Latvia, Italy, France, Malta, Slovenia and the Netherlands have reached the 80% penetration rate.

A further four countries, Portugal, Austria, Great Britain and Ireland, are progressing their rollouts, with three of them targeting 80% by 2024.

However, six countries, Belgium, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary, have barely started theirs, while five, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany and Greece, have very few or no smart meters.

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These are among the findings in the 2023 retail market study – based on 2022 data – from the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER).

The report, which is focussed largely on the energy crisis and the increases in energy prices in 2022 with recommendations based on the lessons from that, regrets that the 11 countries have barely started the smart metering process.

Their non-availability is a key barrier to consumers receiving regular and accurate metering data in a timely manner. Without that, they are unable to take advantage of the opportunities to respond to real-time price signals.

Moreover, for innovative market players, the lack of smart meter rollout can be a barrier to market entry and thus to competition. As new suppliers enter the market and offer real-time billing, consumers may respond by switching to other suppliers.

As far as switching – a key measure of consumer engagement – goes, for both electricity and gas the rates decreased in over half of member states in 2022 compared to previous years, although increasing in others. Possible reasons for these lower switching rates are related to pricing and the emergency measures taken during the energy crisis.

The other measure of consumer engagement reviewed in the report is energy communities. At this stage, the impact of energy communities is relatively small in terms of the number of initiatives, people involved and citizen-owned renewable capacity, but the interest of citizens in getting involved seems to have increased during the energy crisis.

In order to facilitate their development a clear and workable definition of energy communities and an enabling framework with the transposition of European rules in national legislations are needed.

Retail market structure

The report notes the heightened risk of the energy crisis triggered an uptick in the number of retail suppliers exiting the retail electricity market, reaching 62 due to financial problems in the residential market in 2021, up from eight in the previous year. However, the number dropped again to 23 in 2022, almost half of them in Spain.

Nevertheless, new suppliers have continued to enter the market with the number relatively high in countries where many suppliers exiting the market.

Similar patterns have been observed for supplier exits in the gas retail market.

From a supplier perspective, a key lesson learned from the energy crisis was to keep open lines of communication with all customers.

In response to increased prices, consumer complaints increased in 2022, primarily related – where data is available – to invoicing/billing and debt-collection and by almost half and double respectively compared to 2021.

While some energy companies’ customer services struggled to cope with the unexpectedly high volume of contacts, others found that engaging with their customers created opportunities to help consumers through the energy crisis, to the benefit of both the customer and the supplier.

Engaging with customers will therefore be key to the energy transition, the report states. Smart metering is one of the tools to facilitate this communication. Offering dynamic price contracts, in addition to hybrid or fixed price contracts, is another way of encouraging consumer participation from the demand side of the market.

Other findings in the report include the increasing share of electric vehicles in national new car registrations, although markedly different in different countries with the highest increases in Norway, Sweden and Denmark but the lowest in Cyprus, Slovakia and Czechia.

Another is the almost 40% increase in heat pump sales in 2022 compared with 2021, with consumers encouraged by the high energy prices.

The use of heat pumps will contribute to achieving the national and EU climate targets especially in the building sector. To meet these commitments, heat pump sales are expected to continue to grow.

Modest progress is reported in the areas of finance and investment, research and innovation and infrastructure, but minimal progress was made in social engagement and demand management.

In this context, progress is assessed against the recommendations of the last report.

Some of the progress recorded includes a wave of new public and private finance commitments and the development of innovative financial instruments improving access to financing and an increase in participation in key public and private sector research and innovation initiatives and improvements in capacity building.

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At the infrastructure level countries have set clear priorities and roadmaps for regional grid initiatives and have advanced bilateral and regional cross-border power exchange initiatives.

At the social engagement level, however, while several social support programmes were announced there is limited visibility into the alignment of development funding by governments and the multilateral development banks.

There also has been minimal progress on agreement among countries on the agreement of higher minimum energy performance standards.

The report, which in addition to the power sector reviews progress in the hydrogen, road transport, steel, buildings, cement and agriculture sectors, points to the “crucial action” needed during this decade to head off the worst effects of climate change.

While the transition to clean energy and sustainable solutions is accelerating across many sectors, global emissions are still increasing and countries’ nationally determined contributions on emissions reductions are not consistent with curbing temperature rise in line with international climate goals.

“Well-targeted international collaboration is a critical enabler at each stage of the Transition,” states the report, commenting that the ‘Breakthrough Agenda’ is designed to strengthen international collaboration across the major greenhouse gas emitting sectors of the global economy.

Overall the report finds insufficient progress in transitions to clean technologies and sustainable solutions over the past year and while current efforts are improving, they are not yet delivering the levels of investment and deployment required to meet international climate goals.

“The energy transition is moving quicker than many people think, but it needs to move faster still,” insists IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

“Our analysis shows that while some sectors are seeing stronger international collaboration, others are falling behind. Building on innovation, attracting investment and scaling up demand for new technologies are the fundamental building blocks for success. By delaying further, we are simply increasing the risks.”

Francesco La Camera, director-general of IRENA, comments that there is urgency to “overcome the systemic barriers across infrastructure, policy, and institutional capabilities”.

“And we must realign the way in which international cooperation works. A well-targeted international cooperation can determine whether we meet our collective promise to secure a climate-safe existence for current and future generations.”

Power sector recommendations

Recommendations for the power sector for the year ahead are:

1. Governments, working with key institutions and funds, should ensure that international support is available at better terms, including grants at early investment stages. Overall provision of resources should be increased, particularly towards technologies that have not achieved commercial maturity.
2. Governments and the development banks should work together to more strongly align development funding with targeted support for local jobs, skills and investment. Civil society, governments and industry should contribute to creating international centres of expertise on the just transition.
3. Governments should work through relevant initiatives to accelerate the identification of suitable demonstration projects, resource them appropriately and ensure high quality knowledge sharing structures are put in place.
4. Governments should work together to reassess the opportunities for cross-border and regional power interconnection and smart grids to support the transition to clean power systems. Countries and investors should support international efforts to identify top regional priorities for interconnections.
5. Countries, in consultation with industry, should collectively agree to higher minimum energy performance standards for high energy consuming appliances, supported by awareness campaigns and incentives, such as energy efficiency retrofit programmes.

The EGL1 project will see the creation of a 525kV, 2GW HVDC (high voltage direct current) subsea transmission cable from Torness in East Lothian, Scotland to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, England, enabling the transmission of renewable green energy to power more than two million homes across the UK.

Utilities SP Transmission (SPT) and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) selected the suppliers to provide engineering works and technology for HVDC converter stations, which form the terminals for the HVDC cable and convert the direct current to the alternating current used in the onshore transmission network.

“As the consortium leader, we are delighted to be chosen as a preferred supplier together with our partner MYTILINEOS in the development of a new subsea electricity superhighway, the Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) project,” said Philippe Piron, CEO at GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business.

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This latest milestone for the EGL1 project follows the recent announcement of Prysmian Group being selected as the exclusive preferred bidder for the HVDC cabling contract.

The HVDC cable system is approximately 190km in length with converter stations at either end to connect it into the existing transmission network infrastructure.

HVDC technology provides the most efficient and reliable means of transmitting large amounts of power over long distances subsea, according to NGET.

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business will be providing HVDC valves and controls systems, as well as HVDC transformers from their facilities in Staffordshire, UK.

UK minister for nuclear and networks, Andrew Bowie said: “We have a world class renewables sector that help us power Britain from Britain with reliable, clean and affordable energy for families and businesses.

“With investment in renewables rising by 500% since 2010, we must continue to transform our electricity network to ensure we can move power from where it is generated to where it is needed. Projects like this will do just that and help us to grow the economy, reduce bills, achieve net zero and strengthen our energy security.”

Added EGL1’s project director Peter Roper: “This is a critical time for the energy sector as it drives the transition to net zero.

“GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and MYTILINEOS as preferred suppliers, are leading specialists in this high technology field and bring considerable expertise in delivering the infrastructure required to meet the UK’s future energy needs and net zero targets.”

The upgrade includes three further subsea links between Scotland and England, of which this joint venture is the first.

Following final approval of regulatory allowances from Ofgem, full contracts for EGL1 are expected to be complete later this year with construction work due to begin in 2024. The project’s targeted operational date is 2029.

In a new document, E.DSO states that a “forward-looking understanding of the needed investments and necessary reforms to the current reference legislative and regulatory frameworks” is needed as part of the “bold action” towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

E.DSO members account for a very significant part of the current and future investments in European power grids.

But the role of DSOs is constantly evolving and will soon become almost extremely complex, requiring radical change in the way they function and operate with the rapid growth with the massive influx of renewables, change in customer behaviours and rapid electrification.

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With time of the essence, significant leaps are required rather than piecemeal steps and must begin by empowering the distribution networks, where over 85% of the renewables will be connected.

E.DSO sets out four key pledges for the future grid, with the aim “to inspire policymakers, industry stakeholders and customers to prioritise grid modernisation, enabling a sustainable future for Europe”.

1. The role of the DSOs must not be overlooked, as they have been relatively until now primarily from an industrial perspective rather than solely from a regulatory standpoint.

E.DSO advocates for the establishment of regular dialogue between policymakers and the leading DSOs to enable a continuous exchange of ideas and expertise to inform policy decisions and ensure alignment with the real needs of the distribution grid, as well as inclusion of E.DSO in high-level policy discussions related to the distribution grid and investments.

2. Grid investments shall be high on the EU agenda, with distribution grids the backbone of the digital and energy transition.

E.DSO advocates for enhanced relationships between the national regulatory authorities and DSOs, the creation of regulatory incentives that reward DSOs for making anticipatory investments in grid infrastructure and the implementation of policies that encourage electrification in sectors like transportation and heating.

3. Grid technologies and manufacturing capabilities should be European, reflecting their vital role in the reinforcement and expansion of the region’s distribution level infrastructure.

E.DSO advocates for support and incentives for companies to establish development and manufacturing capabilities in Europe and the establishment of a dedicated financial framework to encourage these activities.

4. The workforce in the DSO industry requires rebuilding, with the looming challenge of the impending retirement wave over the next decade.

E.DSO advocates for the introduction of target investments to address workforce challenges, the establishment of industry-recognised certifications and standards for clean energy-related skills and the establishing of a Net-Zero Industry Academy to equip individuals and industries with the necessary knowledge and skills.

The integration, believed to be a first for quantum-based cyber protection in smart meters, sees quantum computing-hardened encryption keys integrated into all Honeywell’s smart meters for gas, water and electricity.

This enhanced security is aimed to set a new benchmark for protection against data breaches and to help ensure the uninterrupted operation of the utilities infrastructure.

“By integrating Quantinuum’s encryption technology into our smart meters, we’re advancing data security for our customers and shaping the dialogue on how the utility industries should approach cybersecurity in the quantum era,” says Hamed Heyhat, President of Smart Energy and Thermal Solutions at Honeywell.

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“This integration underscores the necessity for continuous innovation to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape. It is a level of protection that is imperative in our increasingly digital and interconnected world.”

Quantinuum’s Quantum Origin generates keys through quantum computing-enhanced randomness – a feature of the quantum world – which makes them unpredictable and thereby able to significantly enhance the data security.

Specifically a quantum cryptographic seed is generated on a quantum computer, which is then verified for strength and the keys are generated.

Tony Uttley, President and COO of Quantinuum, comments that robust cybersecurity requires a multifaceted approach, taking advantage of the latest technologies.

“Our work with Honeywell demonstrates the importance of using the power of today’s quantum computers to create a more resilient cyber infrastructure to better protect customers.”

Quantum Origin is designed for both devices and infrastructure, with keys generated directly into devices or on demand via the cloud.

The smart meter products with Quantum Origin from Honeywell are available now to customers in North America and Europe.

This is according to findings from data and analytics company GlobalData, which projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.54% for the market from now to 2027.

According to the company’s report Switchgears for Power Transmission, Market Size, Share and Trends Analysis by Technology, Installed Capacity, Generation, Key Players and Forecast, 2022–2027, while the market has been seen growth across regions, market drivers are context-specific.

For example, states the report, within the growing economies of the Asia-Pacific and Middle East (EMEA) regions, the market’s growth is being propelled by the increasing demand for electricity, with capacity addition in the generation and transmission sectors.

On the other hand, in the Americas and Europe, the report finds the replacement of ageing grid infrastructure, the shift to renewable energy, grid reliability issues, improved policy and investment decisions, as well as technology innovations as key factors.

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EMEA

Overall, states GlobalData, the EMEA region was found to be the leader in the market in 2022, with a share of 44.60% and a forecast to grow to 48.24% by 2027, higher than the growth expected in all other regions.

According to GlobalData, the high voltage (HV) switchgear market in the EMEA region was estimated to be $11.16 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $14.63 billion, registering a CAGR of 5.03% over 2023-27.

An additional driver, states the research, was an observed economic boom for Middle Eastern countries, leading to an increased demand for power.

Commenting on the report’s findings was GlobalData senior power analyst Bhavana Sri Pullagura, who stated how “the growing demand for electricity is giving rise to the need for new power plants, particularly those modes of generation that have minimal impact on the environment.”

With this, stated Pullagura, countries have started looking towards eliminating barriers to deployment of renewable technologies and gas-based generation.

“The falling capital cost and low gas prices also resulted in increased development of renewables and gas power plants. This contributed to the growth of the switchgear market, which is expected to continue as countries seek to increase the share of renewables and gas in their generation mix.”

Asia-Pacific

According to the report, in 2022, Asia-Pacific’s market value stood at $10.77 billion, accounting for a share of 43.05% in the global HV switchgear market. The HV switchgear market in the Americas is expected to reach $3.11 billion by 2027, as the grid requires upgrades to replace aging assets and to accommodate the increasing sources of renewable energy.

China, one of the fastest-growing economies with the largest fleet of transmission substations, topped the report’s global HV switchgear market in 2022 with a value of $7.73 billion, accounting for a 30.0% share. The country is expected to continue its leadership during the forecast period, reaching $9.19 billion in 2027.

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Bhavana Sri added: “The need to build transmission infrastructure to deliver power from renewable sources in remote regions, the increasing domestic demand for electricity, large-scale renewable energy deployment, the projected growth in the gross domestic product and rural electrification initiatives are some of the major factors aiding the growth of its HV switchgear market in China.

“The country is the world leader in ultra-high-voltage transmission, having made considerable investments in the development of transmission systems of voltage level of 765kv and above.”

The other major countries in the Asia-Pacific gas-insulated switchgear market, states GlobalData’s research, include India and Japan. India ranks third after China and the US in the global HV switchgear market, with a value of $1.15 billion in 2022 and a share of 4.60%.

“GlobalData believes that policies established to address environmental challenges and capitalise on market opportunities offered by technologies would notably impact the switchgear market by the end of the forecast period,” states Bhavana Sri.

With grid connection lead times a key issue in accelerating the scale up of renewables, top factors identified include the pre-occupied capacity of the grid although not yet physically congested, permitting, materials shortages and poor qualification of plant connection technical project designers and errors in the projects.

This comes with the majority of survey respondents stating that connection times do not match the expectations of customers or government, although just over half say they do match the expectation of their DSO.

The grids in Europe, as they are elsewhere, are being challenged with the rapid scale up of renewables. Further the pressure is expected to increase with the increased demand of electrification.

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This is projected to require a five-fold upswing in intermittent generation by 2050.

With the two main technical challenges of network inadequacy and instability, it is the time for grid operators and policymakers to rethink current planning, connection and operation processes as well as to take responsibility for coordinating among energy system stakeholders to construct a future-proof 21st century power grid, states E.DSO in the report, which was prepared in collaboration with McKinsey.

Based on measures taken by DSOs and other input to address these issues, the report sets out recommendations to support the connection of more renewables to the existing grids and to minimise their connection lead times.

Number one is to reduce the permitting times, mainly through automation and digitalisation.

There should be transparent, and ideally EU-harmonised, rules for congestion management to facilitate the use of non-firm connections and transparent rules for handling connection queues, improving information to the client and minimizing the possibility of litigation. .

On technical skills, improvement should be supported, for instance by setting up an online or ‘in person’ training to certify the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out grid connection processes and education programmes should be promoted.

For grid management and planning the use of non-firm connections should be evaluated and reactive power management should be introduced.

Renewables advanced functionalities recommended include the implementation of droop control and digitalisation of the renewable connection.

In addition, smart grid control and ADMS should be leveraged to achieve integrated and real-time observability and control for the entire distribution network and smart inverter functions used at LV level to facilitate grid management and, in turn, possibly enable additional DERs connection.

This was the key message from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director-General Francesco La Camera to mark an agreement signed with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) in support of Africa’s energy goals.

The agreement was signed on Monday, 4 September on the margins of Africa Climate Week in Nairobi.

IRENA said the agreement is geared toward assisting the continent “in their efforts to achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”

“Acknowledging that 80% of the global population without access to electricity resides in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is evident that the existing energy infrastructure cannot adequately meet the continent’s needs,” said La Camera.

But this would require the creation of a more equitable energy system, he said.

AUDA-NEPAD CEO Nardos Bekele-Thomas underscored the findings of the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP), designed to provide a strategic roadmap for connecting Africa’s five power pools.

The CMP emphasises the critical need for immediate and proactive measures in Africa’s electricity sector.

“The current business as usual trajectory falls significantly short of achieving universal electricity access by 2040, necessitating a substantial increase in investments to elevate the continent’s installed capacity from 266GW to approximately 1,218GW,” said Bekele-Thomas.

“To realise this ambitious target, an estimated $1.29 trillion in cumulative investments will be essential, potentially culminating in the establishment of a robust continental electricity market valued at $136 billion by 2040. It is imperative to take urgent and strategic actions to accomplish these transformative goals.”

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Planning towards an integrated electricity network in Africa

IRENA said the continued investments in cross-border transmission infrastructure and a deepening of electricity trade will allow African countries to accelerate their energy expansion and transition.

This could be achieved by sourcing electricity from a wide range of competitive, clean energy resources and by anchoring on the continent’s five power pools to create Africa’s Single Electricity Market.

Since 2021, IRENA, in partnership with other organisations, has supported AUDA-NEPAD and African stakeholders in developing the CMP through modelling activities and a series of capacity-building activities related to energy planning in the region. 

The CMP aims to establish a long-term, continent-wide planning process for power generation and transmission that involves all five African power pools. It maps out how to best to utilise the vast renewable energy resources across the continent, supporting national power strategies that consider cross-border interconnections as a vital component.

The next phase of CMP will include a special focus on strengthening the planning processes and accelerating the preparation of a bankable pipeline of priority projects at both the regional and country levels. 

“This brings an opportunity for African countries to align their energy planning processes to a pan-Africa vision and accelerate the realisation of Agenda 2063,” said IRENA.

“Through this new partnership, IRENA and AUDA-NEPAD will work to enhance the capabilities of African countries and regional organisations through knowledge-based capacity building services, support implementation of the renewable energy projects in the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA PAP II) and facilitate access for project developers to IRENA’s Climate Investment Platform and Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform.”

Originally published by Yunus Kemp on ESI Africa.

The conventional standard ISO4064/OIML R49 mainly refers to the metering and mechanical features of the water meter, such as R100 or R160, the length of the meter is 165mm or 190mm. There is currently no unified standard for smart water meters except IEC62055-41,51 which is the standard for STS prepayment functions.

The DLMS in the AMI function is more popular in smart electricity meters, so how to select a smart prepaid water meter has become a challenge for water utilities. This article tries to propose the key aspects of the reliability of smart water meters.

Generally speaking, according to the special working environment of tropical rainforest or dry desert climate in African countries, the requirements for smart water meter will be more strict than in Asia or South America. In summary, the critical aspects of the smart water meters that need to be considered are as follows:

1. Communication Method for Remote Data Reading

In the previous article, “Why Prepaid Water Meters Must Be Smart”, we have explained why prepaid water meters must support remote reading or two-way communication. So how to choose the suitable communication method from GPRS, NBIoT, 3G, 4G, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox or Bluetooth? First, whether local telecommunication companies provide NBIoT network which specifically designed for smart meters or other IoT devices as a LPWAN network.

Compared to GPRS, NBIoT module has the characteristics of low battery consumption, and the data flow cost of NBIoT is also much lower than GPRS, 3G or 4G network, the common point is that all of these communications require a SIM card, either an e-SIM for PCBA or a physical SIM card, which means the water utility needs to pay for data flow on a monthly basis.

2. Battery Life from 6 Years to 10 Years

Battery lifespan not only depends on the battery capacity indicated by mAh, such as the ER26500 is typically 8500mAh, but also closely related to the power consumption of smart water meters in different situations, such as communication technology. And how firmware is designed to manage power consumption, like sleeping mode. And 3rd, the power consumption is also related to the working environment, IP level of the meters and the components. Sometimes manufacturers declare battery life of more than 8 years or even higher, but without any documentation from the battery provider, theoretical calculations such as Saft or Tadiran may require further evaluation.

3. IP Level for Smart Meters and Independent Components Such as PCB or Battery

The IP level of the smart water meter is preferable IP68, since the smart meter can sometimes be immersed in water. But when the service life of the meter increases to above 3 years or more, only the meter body is IP68 may still be a challenge, because the material of the meter may start to deform due to sunlight and rain, so it is better to require that the battery cabinet, valve, and PCB must IP68, and have a 3rd party certificate.

4. The material of the meter body, such as brass, or different types of plastic.

In Africa, the theft of brass material is inevitable, so a plastic body may be more suitable for water companies. Additionally, the Meter Casing material must be UV-resistant, resistant to high temperature up to 65°C and fire-resistant. Water permeability characteristics are also an optional indicator for choosing materials because of the high humidity in some areas.

5. Leakage Detection Inside or Outside the Door

The leakage detection function of the smart water meter can be realized through night flow monitoring. As the main IoT device in the water pipe network, the smart water meter is also an important part of the DMA, District Management Area, which is another major topic of water leakage management.

6. Bypass Detection and Anti-tamper Functions

Cases of bypassing smart meters usually occur because of the purpose of evading payment. Smart water meters must have the ability to close valves automatically or record events when they occur, and technical solutions may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and water companies can compare and choose an effective way. Other anti-tamper functions such as anti-magnetic and meter cover opening events etc. can be considered as optional functions.

7. Prepaid or Postpaid Working Mode

Prepaid water meters are only one working mode of smart water meters, and there is one paradox that in most cases, water utilities cannot cut off the water supply to industry users who do not pay for their bills, such as government institutes, hospitals etc.. Therefore, it is necessary to design prepaid functions in the platform, and smart meters support remote valve control.

8. Flexible Water Purchase and Payment Solutions

The concept of digitization is well known today, and it can help water companies adjust their operations processes. With the integration of smart water meters and Mobile payments, organizations no longer need meter reading workers, who can join smart water meter maintenance teams, or build telecommunications networks. Mobile payment platforms now are also popularly used in mechanical water meter billing. And for STS prepaid water meters, they have inherent advantage since they adopt digital encryption technology for 20-bit token transmission.

9. SaaS Software Based on Cloud or Web System Based on Physical Server

Many software companies now recommend cloud-based software solutions, since it is more flexible and expandable when the number of system users continues to increase. But some countries still have limitations on data security, so if leading cloud service providers such as Amazon and Google have not yet established branches in specific countries, a physical server-based web system is also a good choice for water companies. Both of them are not required to be installed on a PC, only user ID and password authorization to log in to the system, check reports or start daily operations like Registration or Vending.

10. Training and Local Maintenance Support

Training may need to take place in different stages, such as a Concept Presentation during ROI, a Request for Interest from the project team or a pilot project stage, and eventually extend to the whole operations team. Local maintenance is a very important factor in ensuring the success of a project, which relates to technical support, training and supply of CKD or components. Many water companies now prefer local assembly with local maintenance as one of the main modules in the workshop.

Read more news from LAISON

Anyhow, there are some other factors that may affect the sustainability of prepaid water meter services, but if water companies can understand the most important of these causes, it will definitely help avoid the failure of smart water meters and digital billing projects, which is a big investment and expect to bring the significant improvements in operations.

If you have any comments, please contact the author: Mr. Raymond Zheng on WhatsApp, +86 131 85002086, laisontech@gmail.com

The company will operate for consumers in the US and Canada, aiming to unlock the potential offered by EVs for the electric power grid.

According to the partners in a press release, ChargeScape’s platform is designed to enable EVs to interact with the electric grid in ways that were not possible with traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

This includes managed charging and energy-sharing services that can provide financial benefits to EV owners. Specifically, ChargeScape’s platform intends to eliminate the need for individual integrations between automakers and electric utilities.

The platform will also provide utilities access to the energy stored in a large number of EV batteries. EV owners will then have the opportunity to earn financial incentives by charging their vehicles during times that are advantageous for the grid, thanks to flexible scheduling.

In the future, the platform will enable EV owners to contribute to grid stability during peak demand through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.

Vehicle-to-grid communications

ChargeScape is expected to enhance the efficient use of EV batteries by providing energy data to electric utilities and system operators, including aggregated demand response, aligning charging with off-peak hours and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

According to the partners, the establishment of ChargeScape aligns with the increasing adoption of EVs, which presents challenges to the electric grid due to higher electricity demand for charging.

The platform thus aims to provide energy management services to help support grid resiliency while looking to the future of V2G capabilities that will benefit both EV customers and electric utilities.

Moreover, ChargeScape aims to contribute to decarbonising the grid; the company’s efforts aims to reduce EV customers’ personal carbon footprints by utilising electricity that comes from more readily available renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar.

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“Electric grid reliability and sustainability are the foundation for an EV-powered future,” said Thomas Ruemenapp, vice president of engineering, BMW of North America.

“ChargeScape aims to accelerate the expansion of smart charging and vehicle-to-everything solutions all over the country, while increasing customer benefits, supporting the stability of the grid and helping to maximise renewable energy usage.”

Added Jay Joseph, vice president of sustainability & business development for American Honda Motor: “With automakers accelerating toward the electrified future, we must find solutions like ChargeScape that enable all stakeholders to work together for the good of our customers, society and our industry by enabling greater use of renewable energy for and from mobility.”

The collaboration builds on the Open Vehicle Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP), which provides a unified interface using communication protocols where all the components of the VGI (vehicle-grid integration) system can interact for managed EV charging.

ChargeScape, along with the work done to date with OVGIP, is expected to bring managed charging benefits to a wider range of EV owners. It will also reduce marketing and outreach costs for utilities seeking to connect with EV owners in their service areas.

BMW Group, Ford Motor Company and American Honda have direct, multi-channel communication with their EV customers through the platform, solving a central problem for utilities, they state, who typically do not have an easy way to identify the EV customers in their service territory.

The formation of ChargeScape is contingent on regulatory approvals and is expected to become operational in the near future.

The new company was announced at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi and is the result of a multi-year development partnership between Virunga Power (a Gridworks investee company) and the Government of Burundi.

Over a seven-year period, Weza Power will aim to connect 9 million people and will provide electricity to residential and business customers across peri-urban and rural Burundi, which has one of Africa’s lowest electrification rates.

According to Gridworks, only 12% of the country’s 12 million people currently have access to electricity, with that number falling to 2% in rural areas.

Most new household customers burn kerosene and charcoal for energy, while businesses have to rely on expensive and polluting diesel generators.

Financing

Gridworks, which is owned by British International Investment, the UK government’s development finance institution, became a controlling shareholder of Virunga Power in March 2023 following a $50 million investment.

Virunga Power is developing the Weza Power project and will provide the initial equity investment.

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Other financing partners providing development and construction capital include the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and the US government’s Power Africa initiative.

The project will be the first new private-sector electricity distribution company operating at a national level in sub-Saharan Africa for a decade.

Partners in the public-private partnership (PPP) for the company will embark on an interim agreement to mobilise an initial, two-year $60 million investment into the utility. This initial phase is expected to result in approximately 300,000 Burundians gaining access to grid electricity.

Infrastructure build out

The project will then aim to raise around $1.4 billion over seven years to build a distribution infrastructure network connecting two-thirds of the East African country.

It will do this without the Government of Burundi needing to raise additional loans from its own balance sheet, meaning it is able to focus on other national priorities.

The new utility company will be connected to Burundi’s existing transmission network operated by REGIDESO, the state-owned utility company that will continue to generate power from clean, run-of-river hydropower, and supply distribution-level power to the country’s main urban areas.

The financing for the grid expansion and the creation of a new utility operator in Burundi will come from a blend of private and public funding, including commercial equity and debt, climate-based and other concessional funding, multilateral donor support and private grants.

Commenting on the announcement was Virunga Power CEO Brian Kelly, who called the project “an important milestone for Burundi and a catalyst for accelerating electrification more broadly in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The expansion of power distribution networks to reach unconnected populations with affordable grid power can be achieved by blending public, multilateral, and private sources of capital when paired with efficient private-sector led operations.

“While this is a common approach in developing and developed markets globally, Africa has lacked a locally-based model to follow, and Burundi’s willingness to take leadership with this approach is impressive and commendable.”

Virunga Power is a developer, investor and operator of renewable power generation and distribution networks in East and Southern Africa with a distributed portfolio of assets spanning five countries, including hydropower plants in development, construction and operations, as well as electricity distribution networks.

In the distribution segment, other than Weza Power, the company is investing in the expansion of a licensed utility it owns and operates in the Northwestern Province of Zambia, seeking to replicate this model with its partners in Malawi.

Bitcoin mining energy consumption revised down

The Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, one of the key resources in this area, has had its first major revision since its launch in 2019, leading to a reduction, albeit relatively small, in consumption.

For example, for 2021 where the largest discrepancy occurs, the earlier estimate of 104TWh is revised downward by 15TWh to 89TWh.

For 2023 the estimated anticipated consumption based on the year-to-mid-August is 70.4TWh, rather than 75.7TWh of the earlier model.

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The Cambridge team attribute the change to the modelling of the Bitcoin mining hardware and technology, taking into account both the increased efficiency and power of the evolving application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

With the progressive reduction in chip size, there has been a corresponding reduction in power needed to transmit data.

However, this now appears to have slowed and steadied as the advances have approached the physical limits of semiconductor technology, with smaller chip manufacture becoming more challenging and expensive.

The Cambridge team expresses confidence in their estimates and regards each update as a progressive step toward enhancing their reliability, but the team acknowledges that Bitcoin’s actual electricity consumption remains elusive and can only be approximated.

Moreover, while electricity consumption is a crucial element in determining Bitcoin’s environmental footprint, it is one and the energy sources used in mining are just as important. Further research is planned to focus on developing a more nuanced perspective of Bitcoin’s electricity mix and more closely examining the climate risks and opportunities associated with cryptocurrency mining.

Samsung to add generative AI to home appliances

Samsung has been reported as planning to add a generative AI feature to its home appliances in the next year.

Yoo Mi-young, head of the software development team of Samsung’s digital appliances division, was reported speaking at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin: “Generative AI technologies will be applied to voice, vision and display” to enable the household electronic products to have a better understanding of what consumers do and want and to be able to respond accordingly.

It will enable the gadgets to communicate with users in a more conversational manner, and to better respond to their questions based on past exchanges and in context.

They will also be able to provide recipes and dietary suggestions based on for example the food ingredients stored in the refrigerator.

Yoo Mi-young was also quoted as reporting the development of an energy-efficient chip to process the increasing amounts of data of smart appliances, with features such as generative AI.

Hydrogen-powered van doubles the range of EV counterparts

Canadian hydrogen company First Hydrogen has reported that its hydrogen fuel cell powered light van supplied to GB fleet management provider Rivus has achieved an “unbeatable range”, easily more than doubling the upwards range to 240km of other modern light commercial electric vehicles.

The vehicle was trialed with Rivus for just over 4 weeks, and covered over 1,100km in that time. Tests were completed on diverse routes, providing data on how the vehicle operates under different conditions including urban city centre driving and extra urban routes covering both low-speed city centre roads and motorways.

The tests also covered the van both empty and loaded to 90% of its maximum weight capacity, reflecting the way vans will be used in the real world.

The vehicle was found to be not heavily affected by the speed or the payload, and performed well under the different load cycles compared to the electric counterparts, which can experience reductions in range by approximately 10%.

“The main benefit of the vehicle is the refuelling times are quicker than battery electric vehicles charge times. And of course, unlike internal combustion engines, hydrogen vehicles produce zero emissions,” Gemma Horne, Warranty Controller at Rivus, commented.

Twenty years after the first publication of the IEC 61850 standard in 2003, the utility transmission and distribution businesses and operating environments have changed beyond recognition.

Then the first tentative steps into the digital world were taken with the digitalization of substations.

Though the concept of smartening and automating the grids was starting to emerge with the rolling out of smart meters, successive technological advancements have opened more new and innovative applications.

Alongside this, the transition to net zero is leading to the accelerated integration of utility-scale and residential distributed energy sources to the grids, while wide-scale electrification across sectors such as transportation, heavy industry and home appliances is introducing changes and uncertainties unprecedented for the system operators.

At the same time, the legacy communications technologies that have formed the foundations of power grids today, such as time division multiplexing interfaces, and analogue E&M interfaces used in devices such as relays and remote terminal units, have passed beyond the end of their technology lifecycle, necessitating replacement with next generation devices.

With these developments, IEC 61850 has been expanded to offer a one-stop utility automation framework to meet the complex challenges of operating a dynamic, distributed, intelligent, multivendor grid, both now and in the future.

What are some IEC 61850 use cases?

The first publication of IEC 61850 aimed to enable open and interoperable digital information exchanges for substation automation applications.

Today, with the expansion of the scope of IEC 61850, utilities can use it for automation between substations, for automation between substations, control centres and data centres and for a range of grid-related applications including condition monitoring diagnosis, the transmission of synchrophasor information, power quality and distribution automation.

These are significant developments for power utilities. For example, distribution automation in the feeder domain of distribution grids with the automation of monitoring, protection, and restoration to improve reliability, safety and efficiency at the distribution level.

Similarly, synchrophasor data opens the way to optimizing line capacities and efficiencies and facilitating integration with distributed energy resources.

As an example of such a use case, Dominique Verhulst, Global Energy Practice Leader at Nokia, cites a fire mitigation initiative by a US utility that draws synchrophasor data from several points on the distribution network, which is aggregated and analyzed to recognize breaking conductors and from where a goose message can be sent to the appropriate line switches to de-energize the line “before it hits the ground”, mitigating the risk of fires.

Such new use cases rely on the latest high bandwidth, low latency networks, which also offer the opportunity to implement a true multi-vendor environment.

“With the standardizations in these protocols it opens up the opportunity for utilities to step closer to multivendor interoperability for protection and control systems,” he says.

What are the steps to implementing IEC 61850?

Turning to the practicalities and technicalities of an IEC 61850 implementation, Hansen Chan, Product Marketing Manager for Digital Industries at Nokia, advises that the starting point for a utility is to evaluate the status of its communications infrastructure.

Some issues to consider include the right connectivity to support applications – such as distribution automation – that are both bandwidth intensive and latency sensitive, whether in the substation domain or in the wide area network and down to the last mile to smart meters in the feeder domains.

“With software playing a more and more dominant role in grid operation, communication reliability is key as without connectivity there is no visibility. Then the grid control system just would not function.”

Chan mentions that another key consideration is the “human layer” at the organizational level.

“Implementing IEC 61850 is a multi-disciplinary effort, so you need everyone to be on the same page and to work together towards a single vision. There are different teams that need to be involved not just on the communications side but for example in IT, as new software such as ADMS being delivered in a virtualized compute environment, the data centre network has become a critical part of the communication infrastructure foundation for IEC 61850.”

Verhulst adds that this multi-disciplinary requirement mirrors the trend in utilities of new talent hires who are familiar with these technologies at both hardware and software levels.

This will support the ongoing development of IEC 61850 with their ability to develop new solutions around it.

“Our expectation is that IEC 61850 will keep evolving towards more centralized protection and control and centralized remedial actions schemes that are relying on the more recent variants of the protocols such as the routed goose and sampled values that are becoming popular with utilities.”

What are the components of the IEC 61850 communication infrastructure?

IEC 61850 communications start from the station and process buses in substations and extend to the grid edge via the field area network (FAN) as well as to the network control centre and data center via the wide area network.

Thus, a reliable and functioning communication infrastructure is key.

Chan highlights the “service-centric approach” of Nokia, saying that it is an essential requirement of such a network foundation to support many different grid applications.

“There will be more and more applications coming for which one will need more and more network virtual segmentation and so one needs to have a communication network platform that allows them to be rolled out as required,” he says.

Chan also emphasizes the importance of incorporating broadband wireless access technology such as LTE into the service-centric network in order to deploy IEC 61850-based assets at the grid edge where fiber is not available.

Verhulst states that Nokia’s solutions are very comprehensive with radio access networks that allow individual private wireless infrastructures based on LTE or 5G to be built and are based on a “strong utility focus”, considering elements such as the backhaul requirements and the substation communication elements.

“Our implementation is an end-to-end IP/MPLS solution including a full series of substation and wireless fieldrouters, packet microwave and DWDM optical transport as well as the backbone networking infrastructure.”

He adds that cybersecurity concerns also have been considered and that secure encryption and key cycling are provided to safeguard grid communications.

What are the benefits of an IEC 61850 implementation?

Some of the stated benefits of an IEC 61850 implementation include the ability to roll out applications in a unified manner, interoperability with legacy devices and future-proofing for new technology integrations.

Verhulst says that utilities with which Nokia has worked on network implementations have seen improvements in SAIDI averaging between 30% to 50%.

Further, a JRC study on UK utilities found that they could save around £13 billion (€15.2 billion/$16.5 billion) in grid infrastructure investment with their implementation.

He also returns to the interoperability benefits, saying that Nokia sees IEC 61850 as clearly indicating the trend of utilities being able to “pick and choose” from among the vendors.

“It’s not going to be about whose hardware or software we should buy but more about who has the best to do what we need.

“And added value is going to come with the innovation from the vendors so it’s an interesting move that we will see more of ahead in the next five to ten years.”

NYSEG, a subsidiary of Avangrid, is to deploy LineVision’s non-contact LiDAR sensors to introduce dynamic line rating in the Hornell area of New York.

The goal of this ‘non-wires alternative’ is to reduce grid congestion with real-time data to enhance the capacity of the lines.

Traditionally, lines have been operated using ‘static’ line ratings based on fixed values.

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However, with the real-time data combining properties such as sag, temperature and the forecast weather conditions, the capacity can be determined on a ‘dynamic’ basis to enable increases in the capacity without potentially large and costly upgrades.

“We know that we have a critical role in building a smarter, more resilient network that will enable us to deliver clean energy to more customers,” commented Patricia Nilsen, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E.

“Investments in innovation like this are very exciting because it will benefit our customers in multiple ways.”

The sensors will be installed on two of the company’s transmission lines – one from Elma in Erie County to Strykersville in Wyoming County and the other from Warsaw to Perry in Wyoming County.

Funding for the project was awarded to Avangrid and LineVision through round two of NYSERDA’s Future Grid Challenge programme.

Capacity optimisation is crucial for the large-scale integration of renewable energies, with their potential for congestion.

New York state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals to achieve 70% renewable electricity by 2030 call for an additional 10,000MW solar capacity and 9,000MW offshore wind capacity.

Such an increase would likely cause significant congestion on transmission lines.

The implementation plan is comprised of 19 ‘priority project concepts’ (PPC) that should be delivered in the period starting in 2024 as well as a further 13 PPCs that should get underway in the following year.

These PPCs, which are categorised under the previously established ‘high-level use cases’, are considered as “families of projects”. They are not intended as specifically defined individual projects, that would be the task of project funding applicants.

The implementation plan is intended to detail the most urgent R&I needs that should to be tackled through the European Commission and national work programmes within the period towards delivering the 2050 neutral carbon energy system.

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With extensive electrification combined with significant energy efficiency improvements and CO2 reductions in all sectors, this will require inter alia the massive use of renewables and smart grids technologies as well as sector coupling of all energy carriers via storage and conversion technologies.

The PPCs for 2025+ are as follows:

HLUC 1 – Optimal cross sector integration and grid scale storage

• Integrating hydrogen and CO2-neutral gases
• Regulatory framework for cross sector integration.

HLUC 2 – Market-driven TSO-DSO-system user interactions

• Develop a digital twin of the European electricity grid
• Viable business cases through market mechanisms and incentives
• Governance for TSO, DSO and system users.

HLUC 3 – Pan European Wholesale Markets, Regional and Local Markets

• Validation of new market concepts.

HLUC 4 – Massive RES penetration into the transmission and distribution grid

• Well-functioning markets for a RES based energy system
• Policies and governance for a RES based energy system.

HLUC 5 – One stop shop and digital technologies for market participation of consumers (citizens) at the centre

• Data spaces
• Building skills needed for developers and users of the energy system to accelerate its transition through its digitalisation
• Service management and operations
• Sharing IT infrastructure investments.

HLUC 7 – Enhance system supervision and control including cybersecurity

• Grid operator of the future
• Grid field workforce of the future
• Human machine interface
• Cybersecurity of energy networks.

HLUC 8 – Transportation integration and storage

• Integrated planning of energy and transport sectors
• Adapting policy and market for seamless cost-effective merging of transport and energy sectors.

The implementation plan gives a description of each of the priority project concepts and their budgetary requirements.

Three further R&I Implementation plans are planned to cover all the time periods until 2030.

The Dutch companies are calling it the first ‘capacity restriction’ contract, which will see Eneco gear electricity supply from a wind project in Farmsum to meet the load on the power grid, a technique to avoid peak demand periods known as congestion management.

During peak moments, Eneco will temporarily reduce the production of this wind energy and Enexis will pay a fee.

The wind farm in question is Farmsum, located in the Dutch province of Groningen, which is connected to one of Enexis’s medium-voltage stations in Weiwerd.

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The station’s power grid, states Eneco, has virtually no room left for more capacity and through the contract Eneco will make the wind farm available to produce less electricity during peak moments, freeing up room on the grid.

This is the first time either Enexis or Eneco has concluded this type of contract, which has been signed at a time in the Netherlands when increasingly flexible means of managing consumption are being used to balance an at-capacity grid.

The wind farm has a total capacity of approximately 25MW; Eneco will make 10MW of flexible capacity available to Enexis to open grid capacity for connecting roughly 30,000 solar panels.

The contract takes effect on 1 September 2023. The contract has no fixed end date; it will remain in place until the local power grid has been upgraded.

Commenting on the contract in a release was Lucien Wiegers, director of Eneco’s trading division EET, who stated: “We are pleased to have secured this first deal with Enexis, and we expect to sign several more of these contracts, not only for our own wind and solar farms, but also for farms that we manage for others.”

Added Karin Mathijssen, director of large business customers at Enexis: “We are transitioning to an energy system where these types of flexible contracts are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, this is a new concept – not only for us, but also for our customers.

“I am confident that we will sign more of these types of contracts in the near future. To serve as many of the customers on the waiting list as possible, Enexis will continue to look for parties that can supply flexible capacity and that follow Eneco’s excellent example.