Electric vehicles (EV) are unquestionably the future of mobility, with numerous initiatives to accelerate its adoption. Nonetheless, technical gaps still exist on EV usage – several of them relating with battery capacity, cost, performance and safety concerns, which create several barriers for EV wider market uptake. Hereto, Battery Management Systems (BMS) have been playing a key role in optimizing the use of continuously larger battery stacks with improved endurance, performance and reliability, typically representing around 15% of the overall battery cost. Hereto, reducing their cost and improving their performance is key to minimize the battery-related bottlenecks for wide EV adoption. LiBAL has developed a novel Integrated Circuit for Advanced Battery Management (ICAB). ICAB is an ASIC-based integrated circuit to be deployed as a local monitoring unit within large BMS. ICAB offers several disruptive features, including 1) an unmatched cost per monitored lithium cell (>50% lower than alternatives from major manufacturers), 2) enabling more efficient energy balancing across cells in the battery pack without ramping overall costs, through a unique, patent-protected hybrid balancing method and 3) is prepared to reduce the complexity of master/slave communication wiring through powerline communications. To bridge the remaining steps towards full scale commercialization of ICAB, LiBAL has not only to widely demonstrate it in full scale but also to consolidate our strategic partnering throughout the EV value chain to ensure enough muscle for ICAB’s production ramp-up. The to-market maturation of ICAB within the present innovation project represents a strategic opportunity yielding a very large business potential for our company – opening a potential revenue stream summing up to over €325 mn over the 5-years post market introduction, from which LiBAL stands to capture over €63 mn as additional gross profits, while creating +50 new positions at our company.

European distribution networks and light-railway networks present common issues: both have been developed as independent networks, relying on the resilience and robustness of existing power supplies. However, RES progressive penetration introduced an increasing degree of uncertainty on the direction of power flows. Both networks are looking at integrated solutions targeting: i) reduction of electricity losses ii) increase the grid stability in a high local RES penetration scenario iii) accommodate the needs of new energy actors such as EVs, electrical storages and prosumers. Electrified transport networks such as light railways could act to enhance distribution grid stability providing ancillary services inter-exchanging electricity. However such potential is still unexploited. E-LOBSTER intends to capture such potential through the development of an innovative, economically viable and easily replicable electric Transport-Grid Inter-Connection System that will be able to establish synergies between power distribution networks, electrified transport networks (metro, trams, light railways etc.) and charging stations for EVs. The proposed solution encompasses the integration of high power flow Electric Storage with smart Soft Open Points providing flexible control. The system will be managed by an integrated Railway + Grid Management System which starting from the real time analysis of energy losses will be able to optimize the interexchange of electricity between the networks maximizing local RES self-consumption. The hardware and software control platform will be demonstrated at TRL 6 in one substation owned by Metro de Madrid. Business models and standardisation needs will be deeply analyzed and measures to unlock existing barriers will be promoted and in parallel the knowledge generated from the project will be further exploited for the definition of the up-scale design of a full scale E-LOBSTER system, paving the ground towards replication across the EU.

Future energy systems will be characterized by growing shares of intermittent power generation from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) while facing increasing diffusion of Electrical Vehicles (EVs). Such scenarios are creating new challenges for efficient management and grid stability. Energy Storage Systems (ESS) will provide a valuable solutions to such challenges. The Storage4Grid (S4G) vision is to provide utilities and end-users with new tools for optimal grid planning, use and evaluation of storage technologies. S4G pre-designs new storage control models and interfaces built upon existing standards and suitable to support scalable and cost-efficient coordination of heterogeneous ESS. S4G will deliver: (i) a Decision Support Framework allowing utilities to evaluate costs and benefits of existing and hypothetical storage installations, for various energy use patterns and regulatory landscapes; (ii) a Distributed Control methodology for ESS; (iii) an innovative Unbundled Smart Meter to enable ESS control in real-life settings; (iv) an Energy Router for provision of future grid services by ESS. S4G will consider 3 scenarios, each associated to a different test site. An advanced scenario for “Advanced Cooperative ESS” leveraging the Energy Router and DC buses will be developed and demonstrated in the MicroDERLab facilities in Bucharest (RO). A “ESS Coordination” scenario will focus ESS deployed for maximize self-consumption and RES exploitation at prosumer level. It will be developed and evaluated in a deployment in Fur (DK). The “Cooperative EV Charging” scenario will focus on use of storage to support large deployments of EV charging stations. It will be defined and validated in real-life settings in Bolzano (IT). The compatibility of S4G models with standards, regulatory landscapes and emerging technologies is ensured by participation of one storage provider and by the engagement of utilities and storage providers in the External Stakeholders Group (ESG).

Electric vehicles (EV) are expected to play a key role towards a decarbonised transport system and thus contribute to meet EU’s ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the wide adoption of EVs has been hampered by key barriers, particularly the lack of a well distributed infrastructure for fast and widespread charging. The main objective of HEROES is the development and demonstration of a disruptive hybrid high power/high energy stationary storage system for fast charging of EVs (23 min) to be used in medium-size charging stations connected to the LV grid. The system will take advantage of combining state-of-the-art Li-ion capacitor (LiC) with high power and high energy densities, with Li-ion batteries (LiBs) to store high amounts of energy and serve as back-up when the charging demand of EVs surpasses the LiC and grid connection capacity. The combination will bring a higher efficiency and better performance of the system, as well as longer battery life, as the LiC can protect the LiB from accelerated degradation, more energy from battery cells, simpler and cheaper management, and lower overall system cost, all with a strong sustainable drive. The HEROES system will be a key enabler for the widespread fast charging of EVs, cost-effectively, without the need for major investments in the grid. To achieve this overall objective, the project will include research and development activities of key technological enablers such as the LiC cells and modules, a new Battery Management System, a DC/DC converter specifically developed for high input and output voltage ranges, and Energy Management System (EMS). The prototype system will be demonstrated for the fast charging of EVs in operational environment. The consortium includes partners that cover the full value chain of energy storage, placing the consortium in a perfect position to develop scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as seizing novel market opportunities.