RWE is leading a consortium behind the Designetz pilot project, which aims to integrate renewables into the energy system.
The German energy company said the project addresses the main prerequisites for effective transformation of the energy industry – “intelligent networking of many decentralised electricity producers and consumers everywhere from rural to urban and highly industrialised centres”.
Designetz’will be implemented in the states North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate and Saarland, where more than a quarter of the German population lives.
The 46 partners include municipal utilities, research institutes and major technology companies.
RWE will bring its DSO expertise in Germany to bear on the pilot project. The company already has over 300,000 renewable energy units feeding into 331,000 km of RWE distribution lines.
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economics and Energy could provide €230m to five pilot projects, including Designetz, aimed at transforming the country’s energy industry as part of its programme ‘Shopfront for intelligent energy – the digital agenda for Germany’s energy transition’.
The ministry has invited the consortium to submit a more detailed proposal for Designetz.
RWE chief executive officer Peter Terium (pictured) said: “The intention of ‘Designetz’ is to translate the political vision of a transformed energy landscape into practical reality.
“The project thus underlines our aim of being the most trusted and high-performing partner for the transformation of the European energy system.
“This consortium with many different partners is an appropriate way to address the high demands of that transformation. Working with others – communities and industry – in a partnership of equals is also an integral part of our RWE corporate philosophy.”
RWE Deutschland chief technology officer Joachim Schneider said: “A key element of the project is to incorporate innovative information and communications technology (ICT) within the energy industry.”
The other partners are: Backes SRT; Bergische Universität Wuppertal; Creos Deutschland; Deutsches Forschungszentrum für künstliche Intelligenz GmbH ¦ Deutsche Telekom AG ¦ Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserversorgung; Energieagentur Rheinland-Pfalz; Evonik Industries; EWR Netz; Fraunhofer-Institut für Experimentelles Software Engineering; Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen; GIP; Hager Electro; Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes; Institut für Elektrische Anlagen und Energiewirtschaft / RWTH Aachen University; Institut für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung; IS Predict; John Deere; European Technology Innovation Center; Kommunale Netze Eifel AöR; OFFIS – Institut für Informatik Oldenburg; Pfalzwerke; SAG; Scheer; Sirrix; Stadtwerke Mainz; Stadtwerke Saarlouis; STEAG; StoREgio Energiespeichersysteme; Technische Universität Dortmund, Institut für Energiesysteme, Energieeffizienz und Energiewirtschaft; Transferstelle für Rationelle und Regenerative Energienutzung Bingen; Technische Werke Ludwigshafen; Universität des Saarlandes; VOLTARIS; VSE Gruppe: VSE AG und energis-Netzgesellschaft; and Westnetz.
Image: RWE
