EDSO welcomes Horizon 2020 ENERGY calls and newest EDSO member
December 13th 2013, Brussels – It was a good end to the week for European Distribution System Operators for Smart Grids (EDSO), the association of leading European DSOs for electricity, welcoming its newest member, Vattenfall Stromnetz Berlin, and the Horizon 2020 ENERGY work programme 2014-2015.
During EDSO’s Board of Directors and General Meeting, held yesterday in Brussels, EDSO was pleased to accept the application of Vattenfall Stromnetz Berlin to become its latest member. João Torres, Chairman of EDSO, stated: “We are delighted to welcome Vattenfall to our association, which we feel is a strong addition to our group of leading distribution system operators. We are looking forward to making a start on the coming year’s very important work together.”
The EU, last week, gave its final approval to Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for the period 2014-2020. Of the approximate total of €77 billion, around €5.92 billion will be allocated to non-nuclear energy projects. This week, the European Commission announced its final Horizon 2020 ENERGY work plan for the years 2014-15 and the first ENERGY calls for proposals. EDSO was pleased to see the focus of many calls on the development of smart electricity systems, since there is a pressing need for large scale demonstration projects that involve consumers in real-life scenarios. The development of smart grids is a must if the EU is to achieve its energy policy objectives to 2020 and beyond. Many of the calls will help DSOs to develop ways to manage these urgent requirements, specifically those calls relating to grid development, system integration, demand response, consumer engagement and energy storage.
Per-Olof Granström, Secretary General of EDSO, commented on the calls: “We welcome the European Commission’s research and innovation programme. The role of the DSO is evolving and there is a great need for large scale demonstrations to test new solutions and technologies, as the last step before real and wide scale deployment.”
