ENSURE

The ENSURE research project – New Energy Network Structures for the Energy Transition – makes an important contribution to achieving the following goals formulated in 2015 by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Kopernikus Projects for the Energy Transition funding initiative:

• Breaking new ground in cooperation between industry, science, and society and making energy research efficient and targeted in the future
• Finding sustainable solutions for the energy transition by appropriately reflecting the needs and expectations of the population and taking into account environmental compatibility and market economy requirements
• Integrating information and communication technology due to its great potential to drive the energy transition forward
• Identifying relevant technologies and developing them for large-scale application
• Systemic and holistic approach centered on initiating innovations for the energy transition

In funding phase 3, ENSURE addresses the following key challenges facing the electrical grids as the backbone of the energy transition:

• The geographical focus of generation and consumption is shifting. The electricity grid must be adapted to cover greater distances and increasing capacities.
• The electricity grid must support coupling with other energy sectors (gas, mobility, buildings) and enable synergies (“sector integration”).
• The fluctuating feed-in capacity of renewable sources must be balanced.
• The necessary system services must continue to be provided and coordinated even after the dismantling of large power plants.

Project duration: 01.08.2023 – 31.07.2026

The electrical grid forms the backbone of the energy transition. With advancing decarbonization, the demand for electrical power is rising significantly as more and more applications are being electrified and increasingly supplied by renewable energies. This poses key challenges for the grids: generation and consumption are shifting geographically, which requires higher power over greater distances. At the same time, the grid must enable coupling with other energy sectors such as gas, mobility, and buildings, balance out fluctuating feed-in levels, and ensure all necessary system services even after the decommissioning of conventional large-scale power plants.

To meet these requirements, grid expansion and further development as well as more flexible and system-friendly facilities are necessary. However, implementation is lagging behind the necessary pace. External factors such as the coronavirus pandemic, geopolitical tensions affecting supply chains, the shortage of skilled workers, and uncertainties in energy supply as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine are further exacerbating the situation. In conjunction with tight regulatory frameworks, this means that available resources are being used primarily for short-term solutions, while optimal long-term concepts are not being researched sufficiently.

From a technical perspective, there is a particular need for research into possible interactions between existing and new technologies, as well as a systematic evaluation of different approaches to specific grid challenges. Research, development, and realistic testing are therefore crucial to minimizing risks and accelerating grid expansion. In addition, the energy transition requires not only technical but also social and regulatory developments. Market design, regulation, digitalization, and acceptance must be shaped in such a way that they support grid expansion. A holistic view of the energy system and the active involvement of society are indispensable for this.

Against this backdrop, ENSURE pursues a systemic, cross-sectoral technological approach to support the accelerated energy transition. The central goal is to derive robust recommendations for action for key players in the energy industry, regulation, politics, and society. This is based on the results of the previous project phases, which are supplemented by further analyses and evaluations.

The interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary consortium specifically combines technology development with issues of regulation and market design. This allows technological solutions to be modeled, analyzed, and evaluated not in isolation, but in the overall context of the energy system. In addition, the interaction of the developed approaches is reflected upon and validated in continuous dialogue with social actors and other stakeholders.

Technologically, the focus is on a modular, flexible solution kit that addresses decentralized structures and sector coupling. Validated and comparatively evaluated technologies form the basis for sustainable grid development and enable the selection of suitable measures tailored to specific applications. In this way, ENSURE not only contributes to the technical advancement of energy systems, but also supports acceptance building and creates the conditions for adapting to future challenges.

PSI CONTRIBUTION: PSI is collaborating with TenneT on a component for AI-optimized asset and maintenance management to reduce redispatch costs. Over the past three years, a concept and a procedure for implementing a prototype have been developed in close cooperation. This prototype plans maintenance measures, not only taking into account the availability of personnel, but also considering the redispatch costs resulting from shutdowns.

In addition, PSI is making a significant contribution to the success of the energy transition with its expertise in control systems, including in collaboration with TenneT. Reliable, high-resolution collection of grid and process data across multiple grid levels creates the conditions for greater utilization of existing grids, the expansion of renewable energies, and future sector coupling, for example in the field of hydrogen. A particular focus is on cross-network end-to-end data exchange and direct communication between control systems in order to meet the increasing demands of data-based network operation.