Alliander and the PowerWeb Institute strengthen and expand collaborations
On 13 October 2023 Alliander and the TU Delft Powerweb Institute signed a letter of intent to collaboratively foster innovation to find intelligent solutions that will accelerate the energy transition and contribute to a more sustainable and greener world.
The electricity grid plays a central role in the energy transition: it is essential for transmitting the electricity that powers our homes, businesses, and institutions. But the current electrical grid is not designed to handle the advancements in technology and different sources of energy needed to become fully net-zero. Grid operators and networks are struggling to find solutions to address how to ensure a reliable energy supply from intermittent sources (e.g. wind), how to integrate different types of energy (e.g. hydrogen vs solar), how to store this, and how to handle the tripling in demand for electricity as the Netherlands begins to run more fully on renewable electricity.
Signing of agreement. Clockwise from left: Peter Palensky (TU Delft), Jorrinde van der Meijde (Alliander), Deputy Mayor of Arnhem Nermina Kundic, Lily Li (TU Delft), Lucas van Vliet (TU Delft), Rinke van de Rhee (Alliander)
Two years, five domains
Through sharing knowledge, best practices, and facilities, the two-year partnership will support the development of the next generation of experts in the field of sustainable energy. During the collaboration, Alliander and the Powerweb will tackle many of these challenges with a focus on the following domains:
AI for Grid Operations
Addressing the need to balance the irregular supply of renewable energy with the constant and demand for electricity.
Modelling and numerical methods
Investigating how to model a wide range of power grid phenomena such as degradation, power flow, and life span in a computationally efficient way.
Robotics
Exploring the integration of robotics to alleviate the workload of grid operators in the areas of inspection, maintenance, safety, installation and remote operation.
Experiments & Sensors
Developing and testing digital technologies and tools such as power electronics, hardware, and sensors to improve the efficiency of grid operations
Grid Governance
Ensuring the energy transition is carried out effectively and cost efficiently, while safeguarding equitability, fairness, and sustainability
Workshop at NEXT Delft|Mondai
In addition to the signing, the Powerweb Institute organized workshop hosted by the Mondai House of AI on Friday involving researchers from TU Delft and Alliander to discuss specific research topics within these domains and to prioritize next steps.
About the Two Organizations
The Powerweb Institute is a cross-faculty institute consisting of six faculties. The institute’s focus is tackling the energy transition and reshaping the future energy supply through a multi-faceted approach that considers technological, economic, and social solutions. https://www.tudelft.nl/powerweb
Alliander N.V. is a Dutch network company involved in developing and operating energy networks. Over three million Dutch households and companies are supplied with electricity gas and heating through Alianders cable and pipe network. Their mission is to keep energy reliable, affordable, and accessible for everyone. https://www.alliander.com/en/