Efficient and effective network management is the key to the integration of renewables in an efficient way that ensures cost-effectiveness and affordability, security of supply, and grid stability. Real-time monitoring and optimization are necessary to increase the flexibility, through solutions such as storage, demand response, or flexible generation among others, to integrate higher shares of variable renewable energy. Exploiting synergies between electricity, heating and cooling networks, gas networks, transport infrastructure, and digital infrastructure will be crucial for enabling the smart, integrated, flexible, green, and sustainable operation of the relevant infrastructures. Besides hydrogen and batteries (addressed elsewhere), R&I in other storage technologies, in particular, thermal storage but also electrochemical, chemical, mechanical, and electrical storage solutions is necessary to create a set of flexibility options. The award value is EUR 35 000 000. Visit Funder for details.

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries;

• The Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
• The Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)  are linked to the Member States
• Eligible non-EU countries; countries associated with Horizon Europe and  low- and middle-income countries

The deadline for application is 26 April 2022.