Milan, Italy --- (METERING.COM) --- March 7, 2013 - The European Electricity Grid Initiative (EEGI) has published an updated version of its research and innovation (R&I) roadmap covering R&I activities for Europe’s electricity grids for the decade 2013-2022.

The new roadmap, which updates the first version of 2010, is aimed to take account of recent EU energy policy evolutions – in particular the move to a low carbon economy by 2050. Challenges to achieve this include the massive development of renewable generation at transmission level and its simultaneous integration with small residential units to the grid, the expansion of power electronics at generation level and within the grid, and more physically linked transmission and distribution systems.

In this scenario the transmission system operators (TSOs) will be in charge of global system optimization in matching generation with load, transporting power over longer and longer distances and within cross border arrangements. The distribution system operators (DSOs) will be in charge of local system optimization allowing for demand response implementation for small customers and boosting system efficiency.

The five innovation clusters for the TSOs are:

• Grid architecture
• Power technologies
• Network operation
• Market designs
• Asset management.

For the DSOs the innovation clusters are:

• Integration of smart customers
• Integration of DER and new uses
• Network operations
• Network planning and asset management
• Market design.

Notable changes from the first roadmap include the proposal to address asset management as a new area of innovation. Moreover, a cluster on market design, which is well covered in the TSO part, is now also inserted in the DSO part.

There is also a cluster of joint TSO/DSO activities, which is reshaped in part with the TSOs and DSOs stressing the needs for developing scaling up and replication platforms to support further and faster deployment of successful R&I projects.

The estimated budget for this revised roadmap is €2.305 billion – €0.755 billion for the TSO part, €1.3 billion for the DSO part, and €0.25 billion for the joint activities. The 2010 roadmap estimates were €0.56 billion for the TSO part, €1.2 billion for the DSO part, and €0.23 billion for the joint activities, totaling €1.99 billion. Taking into account the resources already committed, a further €1.83 billion needs to be provided before 2022 to meet the R&I outlined in the new roadmap.

The major impacts that can be expected from the R&I in the roadmap before 2030 are to optimize the capital investment and operational expenditure intensity needed to increase the network capacity for grid users, and to pave the way for a fully decarbonized energy system by 2050 through an extremely large share of renewable electricity production. Further, there will be sharing of this new knowledge to speed up replication activities of the most promising results throughout Europe.