Project AI-EFFECT to establish energy sector AI use cases
Image courtesy EPRI
European project AI-EFFECT will develop four demonstrations across Europe – in Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany – developing, testing and validating multiple use cases of AI in the energy sector.
Launching the three-year project is Dublin-based EPRI Europe. The project will test use cases of AI including multi-energy systems, congestion management, energy efficiency and DER integration.
The key aim of the project is to establish a European AI Testing and Experimentation Facility (TEF) for the energy sector, enabling development, testing, and validation at various stages. The facility will virtually connect existing European computer and lab facilities through a digital platform.
The project brings together 19 European organisations spanning research institutions, energy operators, and academia:
EPRI Europe, Maynooth University and IKIM (Ireland); INESC TEC, WATT-IS and CEVE (Portugal); DTU, Bornholms Energi & Forsyning and CDK (Denmark); Fraunhofer FIT, RWTH Aachen University and Hertie School (Germany); TUDelft and Tennet (Netherlands); IRTSX (France); DNV (Norway); EnliteAI (Austria); ENEL (Itay); and EDRD (Spain).
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Commenting in a release was Eamonn Lannoye, EPRI Europe managing director: “This project will create a unique digital platform that helps both the AI industry and energy utilities in Europe to work together to develop and use AI in the energy industry. By making energy systems smarter, more efficient, and more reliable, we’re directly supporting decarbonisation efforts and advancing EPRI Europe’s mission of driving innovation to ensure a cleaner, more resilient energy future.”
AI-EFFECT’s innovative digital platform will drive European collaboration by enabling secure data sharing, AI model development, testing and validation, and seamless integration with the EU data spaces framework.
AI has broad energy applications including forecasting energy demand, network anomaly detection, simulation, and reporting automation. The AI-EFFECT platform will help ensure that these AI tools are tested securely before deployment on real-world systems, following European data-sharing rules.
Said Gianni Vittorio Armani, head of Enel grids and Innovability: “As a global leader in the energy sector, we are extremely pleased to be part of the AI-EFFECT project, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to facilitate the energy transition.
“We expect that this initiative will drive innovation and significantly enhance the efficiency and the intrinsic security of energy systems across Europe. Enel is actively sharing its global expertise and real-life scenarios, aiming to improve the quality of life through increasingly innovative, and responsible energy solutions.”
AI-EFFECT aims to position Europe at the forefront of AI integration in the energy sector, offering a robust, secure, and scalable platform to foster innovation, through research, demonstration, and collaboration.
The project will also address key regulatory challenges, including compliance with the EU AI Act, ensuring AI systems for energy are transparent, secure, reliable, and interpretable.
The project will run until September 2027 and is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, under agreement no. 101172952.
The use of AI in the energy sector was one of the key discussion points at this year’s Enlit Europe.
In an exclusive interview during the conference, Karen Auf Der Horst, product owner for GenAI-based tools at Netze BW, explains how they are exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence:
