According to long-term goals of EU, renewable hydrogen will become an energy vector for decarbonisation of the EU economy. The technology of solid oxide-based electrolysers (SOEL) can become a key technological advantage for EU to become a world leader in hydrogen economy. The Hy-SPIRE project aims at further boosting the potential of SOEL by lowering the operating temperature below 700°C, and increasing its flexibility in order to fit with RES generation profiles. Within the project, novel cells will be developed towards achieving strict KPIs such as low degradation equal to or lower than 0.75% per 1,000 h, operation at high current densities ca. 1.2 A/cm^2 and ability to operate dynamically and fast ramping. The goal will be reach by the means of developing and applying new materials, advanced manufacturing techniques and optimized cell and stack designs. The Hy-SPIRE project will aim at developing oxygen ion- and proton-conducting cells (O-SOE and P-SOE, respectively) on both, ceramic and metallic supports, therefore analysing broad range of technological possibilities. The new cells and stacks will go beyond the SoA technology in terms of designs, performance and operation. The consortium of the project brings together a recognized European stack manufacturer (SolydEra), top players in the development of materials for SOCs, expertise in fabrication as well as unique testing capacities and know-how in technology assessment. Techno-economic analysis, supported by the LCA will be used for the evaluation of project novelties and the market potential. The project will cover definition of barriers and research directions to achieve SRIA objectives such as reduction of hydrogen production cost to 3 €/kg by 2030, reduction of CAPEX 520 €/(kg/kW) and OPEX 45 €/(kg/kW). Moreover the technology of cells and stacks – the effects of Hy-SPIRE – will be designed for large-scale production, and tailored for coupling with RES and other industry sectors.

The European Union (EU) energy security policy faces significant challenges, as we move towards a pan–European network based on the wide diversity of energy systems among EU members. In such a context, novel solutions are needed to support the future operation of the EU electricity system in order to increase security of supply also accounting for the increasing contribution of renewable energy sources. The goal of INTERPLAN project is to provide an INTEgrated opeRation PLANning tool towards the pan-European network, to support the EU in reaching the expected low-carbon targets, while maintaining network security. A methodology for proper representation of a “clustered” model of the pan-European network will be provided, with the aim to generate grid equivalents as a growing library able to cover all relevant system connectivity possibilities occurring in the real grid, by addressing operational issues at all network levels (transmission, distribution and TSOs-DSOs interfaces). In this perspective, the chosen top-down approach will actually lead to an "integrated" tool, both in terms of voltage levels, going from high voltage down to low voltage up to end user, and in terms of building a bridge between static, long-term planning and considering operational issues by introducing controllers in the operation planning. Proper cluster and interface controllers will be developed to intervene in presence of criticalities, by exploiting the flexibility potentials throughout the grid. The achievement of the project goal will be ensured by the subdivision of the needed steps in seven Work Packages, each of them, with a specific measurable objective. The project is in line with the Work Programme, in ensuring more flexibility and active involvement of all stakeholders, and a close coordination of TSOs and DSOs. Moreover, its versatility in the concept of grid equivalents, will allow an accurate analysis of the complex network, by considering local active elements in the grid.

Improving energy efficiency can deliver a range of benefits to the economy and society. However, energy efficiency programmes are often evaluated only on the basis of the energy savings they deliver, without considering the many other socio-economic and environmental intangible benefits delivered. As a result, the full value of energy efficiency improvements in both national and global economies may be significantly underestimated. The main aim of IN-BEE is to address the theme of energy efficiency and to describe and provide evidence for the many intangible benefits of improving energy efficiency through a multi-disciplinary approach, combining methods, datasets, and techniques from cutting edge research in law and economics, humanities and consumer behavior, regulation and environmental sciences, as well as engineering. The overall outcome of IN-BEE is to consolidate a set of policy recommendations for the EU and public/private institutions in charge of promoting energy efficiency, competitiveness and environmental and social sustainability. IN-BEE will impact on both consumers (residential and companies) and policy makers, by: • Developing a set of indicators to measure intangible benefits of energy efficiency • Developing Key Performance Indicators to assess the impact of energy efficiency strategies • Studying relevant cases and identifying best practices • Bridging policy makers and researchers through a web platform • Involving a vast audience of stakeholders IN-BEE combines a strong scientific base with a concrete and focused approach (based on real-life case studies), aiming to involve primarily regional and local stakeholders and to support them in assessing results of previous plans and initiatives on energy efficiency and, above all, in designing new effective strategies.