Hybrid storage and flexibility exploitation using digital twin

As part of the i-STENTORE project, Comsensus has successfully developed a digital twin (DT) of newly commissioned Steklarna Hrastnik’s hybrid furnace (SH). This digital twin will be seamlessly integrated with PV forecasting within Comsensus’s flexibility platform, thereby enabling both explicit and implicit demand response capabilities.

At the core of our flexibility platform lies the digital twin of the hybrid glass furnace, which operates on both electricity and gas. This furnace is meticulously monitored and controlled using over 40 parameters. In developing the digital twin model, we have carefully selected key parameters that significantly influence furnace temperature and, consequently, glass quality.

By leveraging the digital twin, we can not only estimate the available flexibility but also optimize it based on the power required at any given time and the total energy sum. This model allows for the creation of various scenarios using different criterion functions.

The digital twin model of the hybrid furnace, along with the forecasting results, is visually represented in the provided figure. This innovative approach to creating hybrid storage and flexibility is a testament to Comsensus commitment to advancing energy management and optimization technologies.

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i-STENTORE Second Plenary Meeting

Oporto, January 2024i-STENTORE 2nd Plenary Meeting

This time the i-STENTORE consortium was together on the 31st of January and 1st of February, at the INESC TEC – Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, in Oporto, Portugal. The meeting allowed the partners to share the progress of the project, the milestones achieved so far and establish the next steps.

We continue motivated on working on innovative energy storage technologies. 

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i-STENTORE takes centre stage at Enlit Europe 2023

Paris, November 2023Driving force in fostering innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development is the purpose of i-STENTORE, a Horizon Europe Energy Project that aims to unleash innovation in storage systems for a greener future.

In a recent highlight, i-STENTORE was proudly part of Enlit Europe 2023, and took centre stage at the EU Projects Zone, with an impactful contribution in a relevant debate about “Large and Small scale storage technologies”. The Project played a pivotal role at the latest edition of Enlit Europe, demonstrating its dedication to fostering innovation, knowledge exchange, and cross-areas collaboration regarding energy storage. 

The i-STENTORE Project Coordinator actively engaged with the audience through a panel discussion, providing insights on the state of the art regarding the importance of regulation and standardisation in the Energy sector. 

 

The event also facilitated numerous networking opportunities, enabling i-STENTORE to explore new partnership and collaboration opportunities. We believe these connections are crucial for the project’s continued growth and success, emphasising the importance of a global network in driving positive change.

As the project continues to work and contribute to the empowerment of green energy sources through innovative storage systems, its presence at these initiatives serves as small steps to create a realistic and meaningful impact in communities.

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i-STENTORE Demo assigns a key role to nature

Funchal, June 22 2023Five real-life demos and one Living Lab are being created across six countries to change the paradigm of energy storage and support energy transition. 

Welcome to Madeira Island, Portugal, a territory with 801 km2 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the perfect scenario for i-STENTORE to develop the Demo 2 – Pump hydro Storage system combined with BESSs.

Socorridos Central Hydroelectric Power Plant was born in 1994 and is known for its ability to bring more water to irrigation and public supply, in an Island that needs to find its own mechanisms to bypass the daily challenges by nature and geography. The great particularity of this installation is the usage of a system provided by nature, composed of tunnels, channels and captures.

The Madeira Island small scale and isolated power electric system (not interconnected), intends to increase the sustainability of the generation system of the island and to contribute to its decarbonization, namely by increasing the share of renewable generation.

This Demonstration will also investigate, plan, develop and install a VRF (Vanadium Redox Flow) BESS of 50 kWh/50 kW to test and evaluate the best way to further increase the flexibility and resilience of this system, even with a predictable major increase of renewable energy sources.

 

The i-STENTORE Demo 2 is included in a universe of five Demos and one Living Lab that will be developed and monitored during the Project to the largest possible extent a versatile mix of energy storage technologies, covering energy intensive applications in different sectors including industry, agriculture, commercial applications, and mobility.

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i-STENTORE in the 12th edition of InnoGrid

Brussels, June 14 2023 – i-STENTORE participated in the 12th edition of InnoGrid, jointly organised by E.DSO and ENTSO-E, that took place in Brussels.

The technology and innovation developments needed to implement the energy transition towards a decarbonised power system, in a context marked by emergency situations, was the main focus subject discussed during the event.

i-STENTORE was represented by Nikolaos Bilidis, the Project Coordinator, and Ana Luisa Alves, Project Manager, in the Policy Conference contributing with innovative storage systems to empower green energy.

The Conference “Between urgency and energy transition: getting the balance right” was organised to demonstrate the role of innovation towards a decarbonised, digitalised and decentralised power system in the future.

i-STENTORE team explained to the participants how the Project is contributing to this path, crucial to the global sustainable development.

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i-STENTORE Public Debate: Powering the Future

Brussels, May 22, 2023 – i-STENTORE will organise a public debate on energy trends, in a hybrid model that will allow online and live participation. The conference will focus the journey of i-STENTORE towards sustainability and will take place on June 22, 1.30pm – 2.30pm CET in Universidad Carlos III de Madrid – Puerta de Toledo Campus, Grade Room.

The initiative “Powering the Future: Exploring the Role of Innovative Hybrid Energy Storage Systems in Green Energy Empowerment” aims to take over a valuable exchange of ideas on behalf of the transformative potential of hybrid energy storage systems in driving the transition towards sustainable energy solutions. 

i-STENTORE Project Coordinator, Nikolaos Bilidis, emphasises that “a key highlight of the workshop will be a lively discussion on the vast potential of energy storage, bringing together a panel of experts from various backgrounds.

The event will provide a technical framework for understanding innovative hybrid energy storage systems, and share valuable insights derived from i-STENTORE pilots involving a diverse range of green energy storage technologies. 

The “Powering the Future” workshop will contribute to knowledge exchange, collaboration, and exploration of innovative hybrid energy storage systems, fostering  collaborations to drive the adoption of sustainable energy solutions.

The participation in the event is free of charge and open to everyone interested in the energy sector.

Small steps make huge difference in our journey towards sustainability.

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i-STENTORE: New Horizon Europe project aims to lead to more innovative storage systems

Athens, February 23rd 2023 – A new Horizon Europe project – i-STENTORE, innovative Energy Storage TEchnologies TOwards increased Renewables integration and Efficient Operation – has started and will examine the integration of diverse Energy Storage (ES) solutions and their combinations.

This project is part of Horizon Europe Innovation Actions, co-funded by the European Union, and will study the applicability of versatile storage solutions in various applications covering the mobility, agricultural, industry, household, heating and other sectors. The decentralisation of the power sector is one of the program keys, as i-STENTORE aims to generate a technological soft solution through creating a level playing field for intelligent energy storage based applications involving multiple energy stakeholders and systems.

The contribution of i-STENTORE project for the future energy market configuration is central and will help green energy to firm its expression globally, by generating a greater efficiency, through the introduction of novel stand-alone and hybrid energy storage systems”, highlights Nikolaos Bilidis, i-STENTORE Project Coordinator. 

Innovative storage systems will be showcased and their co-operation with the integrated assets will be co-optimized. The project focuses on reliability, the power quality, the cost-efficient operation and the maximisation of the assets’ lifetime as end-goals. i-STENTORE will also examine the integration of diverse ES solutions and their hybridization through digital solutions. Engagement of innovative ES technologies using new advanced materials and new design solutions is another key focus of i-STENTORE.

The official kick-off meeting took place in Athens, Greece, on January 30th and 31st, where 27 partners met to discuss the Project objectives and methodologies to be implemented during the next 36 months. The project started in January 2023 and will be active until 2026, with a global budget of almost 10M euros.