The ENSURE project – new energy network structures for the energy transition – examines and demonstrates technical solutions for the energy networks of the future over a period of ten years and three project phases as part of the Kopernikus projects funding initiative for the energy transition. The research work in the third phase will contribute to making the energy transition economically successful. The project addresses the following key challenges in particular:

• The geographic focus of generation and consumption is shifting. The electrical network must be adapted to greater distances and increasing power.
• The electrical network must support the coupling with other energy sectors (gas, mobility, buildings) and enable synergies (sector integration).
• The temporally fluctuating feed-in power of renewable sources must be compensated.
• The necessary system services must also be provided and coordinated after the dismantling of large power plants.

At the IIP, questions are being investigated in the sub-project "Holistic structure for a future network with centralized and decentralized supply elements". Possibilities for the integration of storage technologies into the electricity market are examined. The focus is on how to incentivize investments in storage in order to balance out the volatility of renewable energies. Further work deals with the integrated planning of electricity, gas and hydrogen networks. In particular, it is examined how the allocation of future electrolysers affects the infrastructure requirements. Further information can be found here.