Heavy-duty vehicles account for about 25% of EU road transport CO2 emissions and about 6% of total EU emissions. In line with the Paris Agreement and Green Deal targets, Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 setting CO2 emission standards for HDVs (from August 14, 2019) forces the transition to a seamless integration of zero-emission vehicles into fleets. In line with the European 2050 goals ESCALATE aims to demonstrate high-efficiency zHDV powertrains (up to 10% increase) for long-haul applications that will provide a range of 800 km without refueling/recharging and cover at least 500 km average daily operation (6+ months) in real conditions. ESCALATE will achieve this by following modularity and scalability approach starting from the β-level of hardware and software innovations and aiming to reach the γ-level in the first sprint and eventually the δ-level at the project end through its 2 sprint-V-cycle. ESCALATE is built on the novel concepts around 3 main innovation areas, which are: i) Standardized well-designed, cost effective modular and scalable multi-powertrain components; ii) Fast Fueling & Grid-friendly charging solutions; and iii) Digital Twin (DT) & AI-based management tools considering capacity, availability, speed, and nature of the charging infrastructures as well as the fleet structures. Throughout the project lifetime, 5 pilots, 5 DTs and 5 case studies on TCO (with the target of 10% reduction), together with their environmental performance via TranSensusLCA will be performed. The ultimate goal is to develop well-designed modular building blocks with a TRL7/8 based on business model innovations used for 3 types of zHDVs {b-HDV,f-HDV,r-HDV}. Furthermore, 3 white papers will be produced, one of which will contribute defining the pathway for reducing well-to-wheel GHG emissions from HDVs based on results and policy assessments.

As a significant source of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), it is essential that the maritime transport sector focuses on ways to become climate neutral. Partial electrification of power systems has already been adopted as a GHG reduction measure. However, further advances are necessary on such aspects as the provision of high charging powers to minimise costs and improve standardisation. In this context, HYPOBATT will be focused on the development of an interoperable charging solution with a cost-competitive performance. HYPOBATT will deliver a modular, fast, and easy multi-MW recharging system demonstrated in two European ports with fast turnaround times. The project will assess the end-to-end services between both ports, and compatibility with other ports. A modular approach on electrical and mechanical integration will minimize the required connection time, the charging time, land from port side and the number of components and costs. The charging system will be designed to achieve interoperability and compatibility with different electric ships, grid constraints, components, modularity, logistic and handling, monitoring and safety systems, power flow, maintenance, digitalization/automation, cybersecurity, and human element aspects. The standardization of the charging modules, the interfaces, and the communication protocol, will scale up the charger based on and on/offshore sides; flexibility of power levels will be addressed and the impacts on the electrical grid infrastructure and on the battery degradation during fast charging will be minimized. HYPOBATT unites key actors from the European maritime sector to develop and demonstrate the charging system. A key element is to develop business mechanisms to exploit the flexibility of the charging system amongst shipbuilders, integrators, ports and stakeholders. This will enable the wide adoption of the solution, thus increasing Europe’s lead in fast charging systems.

TWINVEST intends to create the foundations of a universal, open-source and cybersecure Digital Twin to provide investors in onshore wind farms valuable insights about current operations and future investments. Guide investment decisions in wind energy is a complex as it involves various factors to monitor or assess such as energy production, maintenance, investment framework and characteristics of the wind farm. In order to tackle those different factors, a team of 14 partners have united to create a Digital Twin that seamlessly integrates and considers all these factors. This Digital Twin will have different platforms: i) Framework investment conditions platform focuses on energy storage, energy demand and pricing dynamics, regulatory mechanisms, and the essential grid requisites for ancillary services; ii) Component to Farm platform, focused on different components used for the turbines nominal energy production CAPEX estimation of the investment; iii)Environment and Earth platform’s objective is to assess the impact of weather and wind dynamics, culminating in the provision of real-time energy production projections; and iv) Maintenance and risks platform aiming to optimize OPEX by leveraging predictive methodologies to anticipate potential system failures. The project duration will be 42 months and it will be structured in 3 stages: Stage 1: Platform and model development where the research partners will develop, train and explore different AI models that allows the investor to forecast and monitor essential factors in a wind farm Stage 2 (M6-M42): Digital Twin Integration, where the different mentioned platforms will be integrated ensuring the interoperability among all models; and Stage 3 (M25-M42): Individual Platforms and Digital Twin validation, where the TWINVEST Digital Twin will be validated with real wind energy farms from the industry and will be used to conduct feasibility studies on investment plans coming from industry to show its capabilities.

Current methods to evaluate Li-ion batteries safety, performance, reliability and lifetime represent a remarkable resource consumption for the overall battery R&D process. The time or number of tests required, the expensive equipment and a generalised trial-error approach are determining factors, together with a lack of understanding of the complex multi-scale and multi-physics phenomena in the battery system. Besides, testing facilities are operated locally, meaning that data management is handled directly in the facility, and that experimentation is done on one test bench. The FASTEST project aims develope and validate a fast-track testing platform able to deliver a strategy based on Design of Experiments (DoE) and robust testing results, combining multi-scale and multi-physics virtual and physical testing. This will enable an accelerated battery system R&D and more reliable, safer and long-lasting battery system designs. The project’s prototype of a fast-track hybrid testing platform aims for a new holistic and interconnected approach. From a global test facility perspective, additional services like smart DoE algorithms, virtualised benches, and DT data are incorporated into the daily facility operation to reach a new level of efficiency. During the project, FASTEST consortium aims to develop up to TRL 6 the platform and its components: the optimal DoE strategies according to three different use cases (automotive, stationary, and off-road); two different cell chemistries, 3b (NMC/Si-C) and 4 solid-state (oxide polymer electrolyte); the development of a complete set of physic-based and data-driven models able to substitute physical characterisation experiments; and the overarching Digital Twin architecture managing the information flows, and the TRL6 proven and integrated prototype of the hybrid testing platform.

HAVEN features a systematic, collaborative, and integrated approach to the design and demonstration of a cutting-edge, sustainable, and safe HESS capable of long duration storage and provision of multiple services for supporting the electrical grid and EV charging infrastructure by coupling complementary technology assets, namely, next-generation high-energy (HE) and high-power (HP) storage technologies, optimised power converter devices with innovative cognitive functionalities, advanced and cyber-secured energy management and control tools and strategies in a novel system architecture. HAVEN seeks to achieve a modular, scalable and cost-efficient solution with the capability to efficiently manage power and energy shares while optimising the system in terms of sizing, CAPEX/OPEX, aging stress and store degradation depending on the specific application. In addition, the project will go a step further by developing a flexible Digital Twin (DT) of the system, valid regardless of the cell chemistry and application and adaptable for second life battery modules, that enables to predict the performance and management of the system over its lifetime, while easing its design and predictive maintenance. All this, leveraged by the first-hand experience of leading academic and industrial players (7 companies). HAVEN’s smart solution will be validated and demonstrated up to TRL 7 in 3 physical and 2 virtual Use-Cases (UCs), covering a wide range of grid support services and considering the specificities of multiple electricity and balancing markets, both in Europe and beyond. To pave the path towards a fast market uptake after the project, the work will also include the development of business models and industrial exploitation strategies, cementing HAVEN’s position as a game-changer in the field of energy storage systems.