Empowering collaboration for a sustainable energy future

In the quest for a sustainable energy future, collaboration and knowledge-sharing stand as pillars of progress. It was precisely this collaborative spirit, explains Eamonn Lannoye, that laid EPRI’s foundation in the 1970’s. For five decades, the global energy R&D organisation has been collaborating with industry, academia, government and other key stakeholders to drive innovation and advance the collective goals for a reliable and affordable clean energy future.

Building on that foundation, EPRI is hosting its European Workshop Week 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal on April 16-18. With 12 focused workshops spanning diverse topics such as DER flexibility, model exchange standards, water-energy, energy storage and market design and more than 200 attendees (from 80 companies, 23 countries), the event represents EPRI’s dedication to addressing high-priority issues through collaboration across the energy sector. Workshops will focus on practice sharing, identification of gaps and innovations drawn from the latest applied research projects.

The timing of the upcoming workshop week holds significant relevance amidst Europe’s trajectory towards achieving the 2030 renewable energy targets of 45%. Moreover, Portugal recently reported 89% of electricity supply from renewables in the first quarter of this year, as reported by REN, the Portuguese Transmission System Operator (TSO).

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In light of these developments, the two renewables’ workshops included in EPRI Europe’s conference, focusing on wind and solar energy, can provide insightful conversations for the region and beyond.

Effectively navigating this global clean energy transition requires concerted efforts from TSOs.  Also included in the event, the dedicated workshop on the Control Centre of the Future will delve into challenges and opportunities of real-time energy operations.

With flexibility and responsiveness being key for the future energy system, the distribution session will discuss new planning and operational practices, data management challenges, technology needs, and emerging business models, while the market workshop will explore what may be required to deliver more holistic energy markets.

Since the challenges facing the energy sector are complex and multifaceted, the workshop week serves as an opportunity to bring together stakeholders, utilities, research organizations, and partners across the industry to collectively identify opportunities and approaches.

Looking ahead, EPRI remains committed to fostering collaboration and driving innovation within the energy sector and beyond. Through initiatives like the European Workshop Week, our collaborative research portfolio of projects, and strategic partnerships with industry, academia, and government, EPRI will drive innovation toward a reliable, affordable, and equitable clean energy future.

About the author

Eamonn Lannoye received the B.E. and Ph.D. degrees from University College Dublin, Ireland, and the MBA degree from Imperial College London, London, UK. He is currently an EPRI Europe Managing Director. Senior Member of the IEEE, his research interests include grid reliability, transmission-system operation, and the interface between transmission-system and distribution-system operators.