Eight leading European transmission system operators (TSOs) have joined forces to launch the TSO Innovation Alliance, a new initiative aimed at enhancing power grid resilience in response to increasing climate risks.

The founding members — Terna, RTE, Swissgrid, Elia Group (including Elia in Belgium and 50Hertz in Germany), TenneT, Red Eléctrica, and Amprion — signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on technological innovation. The Alliance’s first focus is "Weather and Grid Resilience".

Startups across Europe will soon be invited to propose solutions to mitigate operational risks posed by extreme weather events and the integration of weather-dependent renewable energy.

Planned outcomes include the development of:

• Data pooling tools for sharing meteorological data on climate events.

• Probabilistic models for predictive maintenance and real-time risk analysis across national transmission lines.

The Alliance aims to launch yearly innovation programs, identifying promising technologies and testing them via joint proof-of-concepts.

Manon van Beek, CEO of TenneT, emphasized the urgency of going beyond “business-as-usual” to accelerate energy transition efforts. Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO of Terna, highlighted the need for open innovation across borders, while Bernard Gustin, CEO of Elia Group, cited recent storm-related infrastructure damage as evidence of the need for joint preparedness.

The first open call for startup proposals is expected later this year.

Source: smart-energy.com