AVANGUARD

AVANGUARD will develop and test the first fully free, open-source tool suite, supported by a dedicated, free-to-access data hub, to enable all relevant stakeholders (grid operators, plant developers and managers, energy planners, policymakers, traders, and regulators) to assess and optimize the role of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) in EU energy system, evaluating techno-economic viability and grid reliability. Effectiveness will be demonstrated via a pan-EU campaign spanning 4 Use Cases (UCs), involving local grid operators (e.g., Spain & Portugal, Denmark & Sweden, Italy, Croatia), using heterogeneous datasets and assessing the performance of various LDES technologies (e.g., innovative pumped hydro, Carnot batteries, innovative electrochemical storages, power-to-heat, Power-to-Hydrogen) thanks to the presence in the consortium of LDES technology manufacturers. Building on partner-developed tools and UC-supplied shared data, AVANGUARD will assess through a pan-EU validation campaign, the potential role of LDES in different grid and energy market contexts also looking at multi-vector exploitation. All tools will be integrated into a single platform, co-developed with stakeholders, validated for usability and effectiveness. A dedicated training campaign will be performed to introduce EU stakeholders to the platform. Promoting the use of its tools and via its validation campaign, AVANGUARD overarching objective is to accelerate LDES penetration in the EU energy system by developing and demonstrating a free, open-source (CC BY, MIT), “ONE-STOP-SHOP” digital platform supporting all LDES stakeholders - TSOs, DSOs, RES developers, policymakers, and LDES technology providers - across the full LDES lifecycle, delivering technical, economic, and regulatory insights to position the EU as a leader in LDES deployment and also providing inputs for future EU policy development as well as LDES technology scale up.