Store-And-Forward Energy Grid

The project aims to revolutionize power systems by replacing synchronous operation with asynchronous energy balancing, enhancing stability and efficiency while fostering innovation in the energy sector.

Subsidie
€ 11.169.627
2025

Projectdetails

Introduction

Electrical power systems are experiencing significant challenges because of the substitution of fossil-based power plants with inverter-based renewable energy sources. This transition pushes power systems to the limits; first severe blackouts have already emerged in developed countries.

Challenges of Current Systems

Although applied for more than 100 years, the rigid coupling of the entire power system infrastructure to a global synchronous 50Hz-frequency is now turning into a liability, making a fundamental paradigm shift inevitable.

Project Goals

The ambitious goal of our project is the exploration, conceptualization, and evaluation of a radically new theory, architecture, and operational principle for power systems.

Innovative Approach

The groundbreaking idea is to go beyond the synchronous balance of power and to replace it with an asynchronous balance of energy, leveraging the established role models from the Internet and telecommunications domain.

Decoupling and Asynchronous Operation

The elimination of the global synchronicity requirement in power systems represents a quantum leap and is realized through the decoupling and asynchronous operation of independent subgrids.

Methodology

Our fully intrinsic, scalable, and gradually deployable approach is based on the store-and-forward balancing of energy.

Enabling Technologies

Networked control, the evolution of power electronics, and the availability of energy storage are the enabling technologies for this revolutionary approach.

Expected Impact

SAFEr Grid will enable a fundamental breakthrough in the stable, resilient, efficient, scalable, and fully automated delivery of energy and will stimulate widespread innovation in the energy sector—comparable to the rise of the Internet economy.

Project Risks and Team Expertise

The project is clearly a high-risk/high-gain endeavor that requires the expertise of multiple research disciplines. The four PIs constitute a perfect team, and the synergy of their expertise will successfully address Europe's most pressing grand challenge in terms of sustainability goals: energy supply, energy infrastructure, and energy independence.

Financiële details & Tijdlijn

Financiële details

Subsidiebedrag€ 11.169.627
Totale projectbegroting€ 11.169.627

Tijdlijn

Startdatum1-4-2025
Einddatum31-3-2031
Subsidiejaar2025

Partners & Locaties

Projectpartners

  • RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENpenvoerder
  • AALBORG UNIVERSITET

Land(en)

GermanyDenmark

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