FlexBeAn
The University of Luxembourg’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Security and Trust (SnT) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), together with Creos Luxembourg as owner and manager of the Luxembourg power grid have signed a Partnership Framework agreement. Inside this framework, the project entitled Flexibility potentials and user Behavior Analysis (FlexBeAn) will focus on smart grid solutions for the electricity grid of Luxembourg.
As Luxembourg increases its reliance on renewable energy sources with more fluctuations than traditional sources and is confronted with other consumption patterns due to the decarbonisation of the heating and transport sector, its power grid must adapt. Within this research partnership, SnT will mainly focus on the identification of potential flexibilities in industry and on the understanding and appreciation of the evolution of energy markets over the next ten years and their implications on the electricity grids in Luxembourg.
“These research projects will address demands on the power grids of the future bringing researchers and industry together to deliver practical solutions,” says Prof. Björn Ottersten, Director of SnT.
Driven by the European Union directives and committing to international climate targets of the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, the government of Luxembourg has adopted different targets for 2030 comprised in the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). However, currently, Luxembourg is characterized by having high shares of energy imports and relying on fossil fuels. Moreover, gas and oil prices are reaching historical highs, which are also being transferred to electricity prices when renewable energy is not enough to fulfil the demand. The situation of the European energy market was already unstable and volatile due to the post-lockdown sudden demand growth where energy prices rose sharply. However, the war between Russia and Ukraine aggravated the situation, even more.
Until now, the electricity grid has been working primarily with dispatchable technologies based on fossil fuels and by having unidirectional power flows. However, in order to achieve the targets of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and to become more independent from energy imports and prices, Luxembourg is transitioning towards nonflexible technologies based on renewable energies and bidirectional power flows coming from “prosumers” (producers, but also, consumers). Furthermore, the electricity demand is growing progressively because of the electrification of mobility and heat sectors, which are modifying the typical consumption patterns. Network congestion and curtailments could potentially appear if proper measures are not taken to protect the grid. Thus, grid operators must take actions to deal with this major transition and balance the energy grid in a cost-effective and secure way.
Therefore, having in mind the critical economic situation the energy sector is facing and the changes that Luxembourg and most European countries are expecting, the FlexBeAn project has been established to find flexibility potentials and analyze the interrelation with users’ behaviour. The goal of the FlexBeAn project is to assess how the Luxembourgish energy system can adapt to a more volatile and unpredictable future and use flexibility to stabilize the grid. For this purpose, the project will focus on four energy-consuming sectors: industry, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), households, and mobility. It will analyze how each sector can support the energy transition with more flexible energy consumption.
