13 June 2024: Capgemini has entered into a long-term agreement with Equigy to develop a decentralised energy system to enhance the management of electricity supply and demand across Europe. This initiative will involve creating a crowd balancing platform (CBP), which is a standardised and trusted data aggregator interface designed to integrate small, flexible, and efficiently distributed energy resources, supporting the shift to a low-carbon economy.
Equigy, a pan-European platform, was established by six notable European Transmission System Operators (TSOs): Austrian Power Grid, TenneT Germany, TenneT Netherlands, Terna, TransnetBW, and Swissgrid. This platform was created to address the challenges related to integrating variable and intermittent wind and solar power generation sources that make grid stability very challenging. Equigy aims to increase flexibility by facilitating the seamless participation of small-scale distributed energy resources, such as electric vehicles and household batteries.
Capgemini will leverage its extensive experience in the energy and utilities sector, along with its capabilities in business and technology transformation, to develop this platform. The collaboration aims to reduce dependence on traditional centralised power plants and minimise the need for costly peak generation capacity, resulting in a more flexible, sustainable, and efficient energy system across Europe.
In an official press release by Capgemini, Martin van ‘t Verlaat, Chief Technology Officer, Equigy stated, "At Equigy, we are committed to fostering collaboration and innovation in the energy sector to accelerate the energy transition towards a more sustainable future. Collaborating with a leading business and technology transformation partner like Capgemini will enable us to develop a state-of-the-art platform that empowers stakeholders to participate in grid balancing and strengthens trust and transparency.”
This agreement aims to support TSOs and deliver numerous benefits to stakeholders across Europe, including improved energy efficiency and new revenue opportunities for energy consumers and renewable energy asset owners. By promoting cross-border cooperation, digital innovation, and sustainable energy practices, the initiative aligns with European objectives to drive energy transition and stimulate economic growth.
In the press release, James Forrest, Global Energy Transition & Utilities Industry Leader, Capgemini was quoted saying, “Capgemini’s long-term collaboration with Equigy will help fuel the platform’s growth and accelerate its European leadership in flexibility markets. By leveraging Capgemini’s deep expertise in energy and utilities and our wider ecosystem of key partners, coupled with our end-to-end capabilities in strategy, data and AI and technology developments, we will work hand-in-hand with Equigy to achieve its business goals. Together, we will help drive the transition towards a sustainable energy system in Europe.”
The collaboration between Capgemini and Equigy aims to enhance grid stability, promote sustainability, and drive economic growth. The combined expertise of Capgemini and Equigy is set to deliver substantial benefits to stakeholders across Europe, fostering energy efficiency, creating new revenue opportunities, and aligning with European energy transition objectives.
