Flexibility and balancing of the national electricity grid
We develop solutions that enhance interconnections by and between distribution and transmission networks so as to ensure a reliable and balanced power supply for all customers against a background of massive integration of intermittent renewable energy sources.
The FastTrack aFRR on LV initiative aims to extend the automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR) to low-voltage users so as to unlock the potential for flexibility within the electricity transmission network. In response to the energy crisis, this 2024–2026 project is designed to manage future energy risks by expanding the flexibility developed at medium voltage to low voltage, offering a temporary but rapid solution.
System operators will test this extension over two years in cooperation with ORES, RESA, Elia, and various flexibility service providers. The goal is to gather insights into potential constraints and obstacles, improve existing systems, and ensure long-term compliance with regional regulations. This project will provide crucial feedback to optimise flexibility management during energy crises and beyond, without implementing an energy transfer regime for low-voltage aFRR points.
The FlexMyHeat project is intended to combine heat pumps with storage solutions in order to stabilise Belgium’s electricity system. As electricity demand and renewable energy generation increase, this project assesses how these technologies can provide greater network flexibility.
Comprising Imec, LifePowr, Destore, ORES, Thomas & Piron, Elia Transmission Belgium, and Energie Commune, the FlexMyHeat consortium will develop control algorithms to optimise flexibility. The key aim is to quantify the potential of heat pumps paired with decentralised storage solutions to contribute to regional and national energy balance.
Funded by the Energy Transition Fund, the project was launched on 1 November 2023 to run for 19 months.