Fast, accurate forecasting of spatiotemporal data is needed in critical industrial domains such as energy (prediction of spatiotemporal patterns in renewable generation, usage and traffic) as well as in public policy. The task is so challenging in scale and scope however as to have been confined mainly to research, while past prize competitions have been limited to forecasts of single dimensional values. Building on our proven success in numerous prize-driven past data challenges, attracting hundreds of participants, we aim to compile and test data grounded on large-scale open European datasets and including specially prepared grid traffic data from Europe’s largest Transportation System Operator. The competition evaluates forecasting algorithms on a cloud platform, tracking accuracy and computational efficiency. Emphasizing cross-specialization knowledge transfer and openness to novel technologies which may spring from different subsectors, we aim to build a platform allowing for coopetitions: the ad-hoc coalescence of competing teams during a challenge aimed at forming sustainable partnerships past the prize scheme itself. We will provide comprehensive documentation for a freely extensible open-source cloud-based specialized computing platform (assembling existing, well tested tools) allowing automated evaluation and feedback as in our latest competitions, but scaled to big data needs. We aim to test this platform and provide baseline results in a smaller scale mini-competition (hackathon). Thus we shall lay the groundwork for a larger prize competition in which evaluation data for predictions may arrive in real or near-real time. We also aim to use our wide contacts with industry, domain and data experts and past participants and winners in order to organize focused meetings of panels to refine value chains in data and algorithms as well as conference workshops, talks and newsletters dedicated to widely advertising challenges to past and new participants.

The PROSECCO project brings direct advancements to the maturity level of HVDC grids. Doing so, it aids in realizing Europe's climate goals for 2050. Meshed HVDC grids is a key technology to integrate offshore wind and to upgrade the European power system. As such, the future power system will be a hybrid AC/DC grid where the HVDC grid seamlessly integrates with AC systems. PROSECCO addresses innovation needs in grid protection near HVDC converters and congestion management for hybrid AC/DC grids. PROSECCO utilises Model Based System engineering to have a consistent approach that is vendor neutral from design. It will advance research on (HVDC) grid protection, focusing on harmonized specifications, improved testing, multi-vendor integration, enhancing grid stability and selective protection. In congestion management, the project develops power flow schedulers, power flow control hardware, and holistic cost-benefit analysis tools. PROSECCO will mature hybrid AC/DC grids through 4 different demonstrators across three EU member states, namely (1) unique test equipment for DC relays (2) DC protection relays being installed in actual DC grids (3) a full scale DC power flow controller and (4) software to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of protection and congestion management solutions. The project also contributes to international standardization and builds confidence in TSOs, educates power system engineers, and provides recommendations to ENTSO-E.

The use of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere must be minimised as fast as possible to reach a climate-neutral society by 2050. A vital prerequisite of the de-carbonisation is the rapid growth of renewables. In 2050 more than 60 % of electrical power is expected to come from wind and solar, both significantly more remote located than traditional thermal power generation. To achieve this, efficient grid-integration of renewables across Europe and globally requires the development of high-power transmission systems and components, and more specifically Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) and High Voltage DC (HVDC) switchgear. In existing grids MVAC and HVAC switchgear is filled with the insulation gas SF6, the world's most potent GHG with a global warming potential (GWP) of 24 300. SF6-emissions due to leakages during gas handling or defective sealings / compartments represents a significant part of the grid owners' total GHG emissions. MISSION project will develop and demonstrate three SF6-free products as key-levers for climate neutral power transmission based on the requirements defined by TSOs, filling critical gaps in future hybrid ACDC grids: 1. SF6-free HVAC circuit breaker will be developed and type tested by Siemens Energy and installed and demonstrated by Statnett in Norway and RTE in France reaching TRL 8, 2. SF6-free HVDC GIS will be developed and type tested by Siemens Energy in Germany reaching TRL 8, 3. MVDC circuit breaker will be developed and tested in relevant environment by G&W reaching TRL 6. In addition, MISSION will determine technical properties of different SF6-alternatives for application in AC and DC switchgear for high and medium voltage operation. MISSION will contribute to enable emission-free energy transmission and switchgear technology transition for a resilient and sustainable future electric grid.

EMODI is an industrial research project aiming at optimizing the dimensioning as well as both the predictive and the curative maintenances of submarine cables. It will concern the so-called static cable transmitting energy between countries and from offshore energy farms, as well as dynamic cables linking marine turbines to their electrical substation (floating or subsea fixed). The conventional, static methods on which cable dimensioning is currently based are not relevant in the case of renewable offshore farms, in particular in the case of wave energy farms due to the very fluctuating electrical power they generate. Hence, one of EMODI’s tasks will consist of developing and validating such novel dynamic methods. The project aims also at identifying the limits and innovations for the current solutions of defect search by echometry and studying solutions to overcome the limits via real-time monitoring of the state of the cables. These studies will be strengthened by tests on benches and digital simulations of the thermomechanical behavior of the cable, allowing eventually the industrial development of solutions strengthening the availability of the offshore renewable production. One particular key point is the hydro-mechanical response of the cable, designed for a 20-years life, which will be submitted to the soil friction and tidal current flow interactions (sea bed part) or to the combination of floater motions and waves kinematic excitation (dynamic umbilical part). Global behavior under flow excitation contributes to fatigue life limitations of cross section components. Measurements of global response in real sea conditions, combined with use of numerical models, are part of the project in the way to assess maintenance. This study will be matched to an electrical approach of the cable monitoring, based on online parametric estimation of the insulation electrical behavior (capacitance). The main results of the project will be in-situ monitoring strategy and systems to optimize the dimensioning of power cables, to predict the evolution of cumulative damage of the cable cross section components, to increase the reliability of marine cable design based on numerical calculations first, and to evaluate the actual fatigue during exploitation. The availability of such methodology will lead to reduce safety coefficients imposed in the existing rules and then to reduce the capital expenditure and maintenance costs which are critical points in the MRE development.