We were in conversation with the coordinators of two sister projects, REFORMERS and CRETE VALLEY, funded via Horizon Europe for the development of renewable energy valleys (REVs) in the EU. Both projects manifest the potential of energy valleys to advance the EU’s climate-neutrality goals and propel the energy transition forward. The projects, both rooted in the notion of self-sufficiency, recently attended the energy industry event ENLIT in Milan, Italy, where they each showcased their unique elements. Read on to see what the projects are doing in their respective contexts and how they were able to connect the dots at ENLIT.
Energy independence for island regions
CRETE VALLEY project is working to establish a model of energy self-sufficiency for island regions, more specifically, on the island of Crete, Greece. The project centres on using modern data-based technologies, innovative business models, and inclusive social science approaches to create a multi-carrier decentralized grid system for the sustainable and cost-effective production and storage of energy covering both residential and commercial energy demands.
“The project is about the democratisation of energy, combining social with technical expertise, and is meant to be a lighthouse for the next REVs that will come up in Europe”
explained Elissaios Sarmas, project manager for Crete Valley. As one of the first REVs in Europe, Crete Valley will aim to model solutions to its 4 follower communities in Italy, France, Portugal and Ireland, demonstrating the utility of the project’s approaches in diverse settings.
The project will be implemented as a ‘Living Lab’ across 4 sites called Community Energy Labs (CELs) in the eastern part of Crete, one of the largest Mediterranean islands. The sites have varying topographies and energy needs and will leverage different renewable energy assets, like biogas, biomass, photovoltaic, windmills, hydrogen and geothermal units, that tap into Crete’s wealth of natural resources.
A key feature of the Crete Valley project is that it calls for different stakeholders like municipalities, regional regulatory authorities, energy communities, businesses and service providers to collaborate. In fact, the project aims to prioritise the empowerment of local stakeholders by putting them in charge and granting them the capability to autonomously generate, distribute and use power according to their needs. With energy provisioning in their own hands, CELs can share energy and compensate for dips in production by routing surplus energy to where it is needed most.
The economic aspect of the project is central, so local businesses are important to making the Crete Valley project a success, as they can mobilise investments and create new revenue sources by capitalising on evolving market opportunities. Beyond that, residents can expect economic benefits through job opportunities in, for instance, resource management, infrastructure installation, and logistics. As Sarmas notes: “The project proposes jobs for the local communities. It is important that REVs bring with them prosperity for the region and help the area to evolve”.
In this manner, the project strives to bring power to the people in more than one sense of the word.
Scaling up Energy grids: the solution relies on self-sufficiency on a large-scale scenario
While CRETE VALLEY is working to establish a model of energy self-sufficiency for island regions in the island of Crete, the REFORMERS project is about establishing a self-sufficient, renewable energy valley in the Netherlands, specifically in the industrial areas surrounding Alkmaar region, which combines industrial peri-urban areas with urban residential developments. The goal of the REFORMERS project is to enable local businesses to generate and consume locally produced renewable energy, aiming to become energy-positive and carbon-neutral and ensure its approach is replicable in other European countries through six satellite valleys.
The focus is on producing biomethane from biowaste and boosting clean hydrogen production for energy and mobility. This is achieved by developing innovative energy systems within Alkmaar’s flagship valley, which integrates various technologies to create a sustainable and self-sufficient energy model for potential implementation across Europe.
“The project’s potential lies in its approach – explains Therry Coosemans, the REFORMERS’ Project Coordinator – it’s about designing efficient, self-sustainable systems in smaller communities and scaling up those systems across Europe’s diverse territories.”
In addition to the flagship valley, the extensive REFORMERS’ Consortium also collaborates with six replication valleys across Europe to develop plans for achieving energy self-sufficiency, facilitating mutual learning through additional insights from these satellite hubs.
Energy valleys refer to renewable energy communities that supply energy within a closely-knit, self-sufficient system. “The concept isn’t entirely new, though it has recently gained prominence due to European policies”highlights Coosemans. Similar concepts, such as microgrids in remote areas without centralized grids and Positive Energy Districts (PODs) in urban settings, have existed for some time.
The REFORMERS project aims to scale up these concepts by achieving an essential element: energy self-sufficiency on a large scale. “We’ve learned from earlier projects that scaling up is crucial; smaller projects often lack the capacity to balance energy needs effectively,” explains Coosemans. The focus on larger-scale implementations aims to address these challenges by integrating rural areas capable of providing biomass for biomethane production, thus helping to replace natural gas and contributing to the design of a self-sufficient energy system.
Integrating Energy Valleys for a Sustainable European Future
Of course, building pioneering renewable energy valleys in Europe is not without its challenges, which both projects must navigate. In Crete, actors in the energy space must contend with a lack of political will, so that large corporations dominate the market, trumping small-scale community-driven efforts. Protracted licensing procedures and lack of regulatory precedent for certain carriers like hydrogen further hamper the deployment of renewables. Residents are also often reluctant to embrace new infrastructure projects, due to long-held traditions tied to regional identity. Increasing the energy literacy of the local population must therefore go hand in hand with boosting trust in the project through demonstrated positive outcomes. As Sarmas stressed:
“We must coordinate technical capabilities and the perspective of all involved stakeholders that will benefit from the energy. We must be honest and clear about the benefits and drawbacks“.
In several European countries, such as the Netherlands, the technology for implementing renewable energy valleys is readily available. For REFORMERS then, the real challenge lies not in the technology itself but in optimizing the integration of different systems to work in synergy together, which presents a greater technological issue than managing individual components.
“For example, in Belgium, there is more regulatory flexibility for hydrogen compared to other EU countries, and along with the Netherlands, they are positioning themselves as hubs for hydrogen importation into Northern Europe“, says Coosemans. While large installations are feasible, considerable safety regulations still need to be addressed, especially when setting up new projects in living labs. This also applies to other technologies like battery storage systems or electric vehicle chargers.
Energy valleys are not only technologically and socially feasible but also crucial for achieving European decarbonisation targets:
“In recent years, I’ve noticed that both mentality and legal frameworks have evolved: communities are increasingly aware of the importance of energy autonomy, and the push for decentralized, renewable energy sources has never been stronger ” states Coosemans.
Project representatives recently had the opportunity to exhibit the projects and their progress at ENLIT Europe 2024 in Milan (Italy). Crete Valley was part of fruitful panel sessions at the EU Projects Zone Hub such as the BRIDGE/ETIP SNET joint session Energy communities’ impact on grids, where experts of related EU projects discussed the role of energy communities, exploring both the opportunities and the challenges they present for DSOs and, by extension, TSOs.
Elissaios Sarmas also spoke with Professor Birgitte Bak-Jensen at the Energy Islands session about the potential of energy islands and how they can influence the future of decentralized, sustainable energy solutions. The Crete Valley team was able to link up with many participants at the conference, both experts and enthusiasts from a wide spectrum of sectors; energized by the exchange of ideas, the team is eager to see where the next years will take the project, and how it will facilitate renewable energy valleys in Europe.
