As part of the NEDO project, the installed solutions go beyond the current state of the techniques and lay the foundation for further implementation of advanced solutions in the Slovenian electricity system. The acquired knowledge will also be helpful in the wider international environment.
The Slovenian and Japanese partners of the project, the company ELES, the Japanese agency NEDO and the company Hitachi, together with other high-ranking guests from both countries, solemnly celebrated the completion of the project at the Ljubljana Castle. The Minister of Infrastructure M.Sc Bojan Kumer, Minister of Education, Science and Sport Ph.D. Igor Papič, Ambassador of Japan to Slovenia, His Excellency Hiromichi Matsushima, President of the Japanese NEDO Agency Mr. Hiroaki Ishizuka, Hitachi Vice President Mr. Katsuya Nagano, and Mr. Akito Fukasawa from Hitachi attended the event.
In six years, the partners managed to achieve all the set goals of the approximately 35 million EUR project, despite the many obstacles caused mainly by the Coronavirus epidemic. They have established advanced network management and operation systems that enable the use of available resources from all voltage levels to operate the entire power system efficiently. More than 800 households were included in the consumption adjustment system, and during the activation period, they reduced their consumption by approximately 20 percent on average. In Idrija and Ljubljana, battery energy storage systems and regional energy management systems were installed, which enable centralized management and monitoring of energy consumption in buildings in the local area and offer this flexibility to the market.
In his speech, ELES CEO M.Sc. Aleksander Mervar emphasized that it was a very dynamic and demanding project for the partners. “Today, when Europe is facing an unenviable energy situation, these devices help us to ensure the reliability and efficiency of system management,” said M.Sc. Mervar. He pointed out that this project was only possible with the top team of experts from ELES, Hitachi, NEDO, distribution companies, and solution suppliers. “They did pioneering work. I hope and wish we’ll find common challenges and continue cooperation on new projects”, concluded M.Sc. Mervar.
Mr. Katsuya Nagano, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi, addressed the guests and emphasized that the NEDO project was an opportunity to execute the Hitachi founding values, which are Harmony, Sincerity, and Pioneering. “We had an open discussion with many Slovenian stakeholders, including ELES, and I believe that we were able to work toward the common goal of the project’s success, which led to the success of this difficult project,” said Mr. Nagano. He concluded that even though the project has been officially completed, they will continue to promote further partnerships and contribute to strengthening social infrastructure.
»The NEDO project is a model for the advanced electricity system, «said Mrs. Maxine Ghavi, Head of Grid Edge Solutions, Hitachi Energy. »The combined solutions selected for the project work together to respond to the need for more electrification while remaining sustainable. Using Hitachi Energy’s advanced technologies, like Network Manager, will enable better orchestration and management of the existing grid while our battery energy storage system (BESS) enhances grid stability and resiliency. As a result of using these and other innovative grid solutions, NEDO consumers have greater overall reliability while integrating more renewable energy.
Confirmation that the NEDO project is an advanced project on a global scale was received in 2020 when the ISGAN (International Smart Grids Action Network) association awarded the partners with the award for the best smart grid project in the world.