AVANGUARD – Advanced Data-Driven Strategies for Optimized Long Duration Energy Storage Deployment in Multi-Energy Networks

Background

The European energy system is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by the dual imperatives of decarbonisation and security of supply. The European Union aims to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and industrial sectors through a transition led by renewable energy sources (RES) and electrification. Reflecting this ambition, the REPowerEU plan revised the 2030 renewable energy penetration target to 42.5%, increasing the required installed renewable capacity to 1,236 GW. Energy storage will therefore play a key role in enabling the integration of increasing shares of variable RES. However, conventional battery technologies alone may not be sufficient to address the variability associated with high shares of renewable energy. As RES becomes dominant, long duration energy storage (LDES) becomes essential to balance supply and demand over longer time scales (typically ranging from 12 hours to several days). By 2050, the EU will require LDES to store up to 1,400 TWh annually (around 20% of demand). Without adequate LDES deployment, RES curtailment could rise by 80%, and security of supply could be compromised during prolonged periods of low RES-based generation. Moreover, LDES could reduce balancing-related CO₂ emissions by approximately 25%. Beyond electricity, LDES enables flexible decarbonisation of industrial processes, districts heating networks, and power–heat sector coupling. While pumped hydro energy storage remains the dominant LDES technology, its expansion potential in Europe is limited (~260 TWh). A range of alternative technological options is available, including mechanical (e.g., gravity), thermo-mechanical (e.g., Carnot batteries), electrochemical (e.g., Na-ion, flow batteries), and chemical (e.g., power-to-hydrogen) systems. Nevertheless, unlocking the full potential of LDES requires overcoming fragmented and uncoordinated decision-making across the LDES lifecycle, and the lack of integrated and transparent digital tool chains. To resolve these challenges, AVANGUARD project is conceived to be the European reference initiative that will unlock the full technical, economic, systemic value and broader impacts of LDES through novel open-source, interoperable, stakeholder-aligned modelling and data solutions.

Aim and objectives

• Accelerate LDES penetration in the EU energy system through an open-source Python-based digital platform

• Develop spatially and temporally resolved open-source tool suite for LDES planning, grid operation, and dispatch

• Develop a data hub for secure exchange and integration of grid, market, and LDES-oriented open datasets

• Test and validate the tool suite in four cross-regional use cases

• Identify business models, policy recommendations, and replication pathways for LDES deployment

Project partners

1. DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET

2. STAM SRL

3. ENERGY STORAGE EUROPE

4. UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA

5. KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN

6. ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS

7. OPEN ENERGY TRANSITION GMBH

8. ARTELYS

9. RICERCA SUL SISTEMA ENERGETICO - RSE SPA

10. UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

11. TEKNOLOGISK INSTITUT

12. FUNDACION CARTIF

13. ADVANCED COMPUTING SPAIN SL

14. CUERVA ENERGIA SLU

15. GRIDFY S.L.

16. CNET CENTRE FOR NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES SA

17. CENTRO DE INVESTIGACAO EM ENERGIA REN - STATE GRID SA

18. REN - REDE ELECTRICA NACIONAL SA

19. SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU

20. UNIFIVE ENERGY

21. HRVATSKA ELEKTROPRIVREDA DIONICKO DRUSTVO

22. HRVATSKI OPERATOR PRIJENOSNOG SUSTAVA D.D

23. ASM TERNI SPA

24. AALBORG CSP AS

25. FRAMATOME GMBH

26. KYOTO GROUP AS

27. Zero Terrain OÜ

28. E-REDES - DISTRIBUICAO DE ELETRICIDADE SA

29. ENERGINET SYSTEMANSVAR A/S

Funding is provided by Horizon Europe research and innovation program - Grant Agreement No 101269474.

Timeframe: 2026-2030

Keytags: Long duration energy storage, modelling, optimal planning, PyPSA, open-source, datasets

Researchers