Project FLOW: a foundation for the mass penetration of electric vehicles
Testing and validation of electric vehicle-to-x in different energy systems is the aim of the Horizon Europe funded FLOW project.
The project, which got under way on July 5, is founded on the principle of advancing e-mobility for electric vehicle drivers while providing benefits to the energy system across Europe with the technologies and business models needed to support the mass deployment of these vehicles and the associated charging infrastructure.
The four-year, €9.9 million (US$10.2 million) project, to be delivered by a consortium of 30 partners across nine countries, should provide learnings for all the relevant actors from power distribution system operators and charging point operators to mobility service providers, infrastructure manufacturers and end users.
A key aim is to validate and quantify the benefits associated with EV charging flexibility through vehicle-to-everything (vehicle-to-x), i.e. energy exchange among vehicles, buildings and the grid, in order to alleviate grid problems while transitioning to a sustainable mobility model.
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A total of five demonstrations will be implemented to determine the impact on different energy systems in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Denmark and Spain.
“The FLOW project represents a unique opportunity to better understand the potential of energy flexibility when we achieve a massive penetration of electric vehicles,” says Cristina Corchero, head of the Energy Systems Analytics Group at the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) and project coordinator.
“This will be possible thanks to the joined forces from key players from both the electrical and the mobility sectors.”
FLOW is framed in the ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2Zero) partnership.
Project consortium partners include energy companies and charging infrastructure providers, academic and research organisations and regional industry associations.
Among these are global infrastructure and networks operator Enel Grids, the distribution system operators Areti and e-distribuzione (Italy) and e-distribución (Spain), the transmission system operator Terna (Italy), the power management company Eaton and BMW as the EV manufacturer.
As a participating association, the DSO body E.DSO has indicated its intention to draw on the learnings and results to manage the oncoming mass penetration of EVs and push for the accelerated deployment of smart charging infrastructure.
