Milestone in the Project “Industry4Redispatch”

Press Release
Vienna, January 21, 2025

Successful Demonstration of Automated Redispatch Activation at Austrian Industrial Sites

The research project Industry4Redispatch (I4RD) has reached a significant milestone with the successful execution of a large-scale demonstration. During this demonstration, redispatch activation was tested at four Austrian industrial sites. Participants in the test phase included major companies such as MONDI and voestalpine Stahl, as well as medium-sized enterprises like Wiesbauer Wien and a “Virtual Power Plant” (VPP) operated by Siemens and Energie Kompass, where multiple facilities were pooled to collectively provide flexibility.

The demonstration focused on thoroughly testing the redispatch process. Redispatch is an emergency intervention by the grid operator to prevent network overloads and stabilise the regional power system. Typically, power plants in proximity are controlled to make electricity available locally, thus relieving the grid. With I4RD, industrial enterprises can also contribute to stabilising the power system by shifting their consumption to periods of lower demand.

“Flexibly deployable producers and consumers are essential for the secure operation of the power system. Flexible fossil generation technologies must be gradually replaced by new forms of flexibility to ensure a secure and successful energy transition. The project has now demonstrated that automated redispatch activation by industrial enterprises works well in practice and that this potential for new flexibility can alleviate the power grid. That’s why I4RD is a very important project for us, as it provides another crucial building block for the future of our energy system,” says Harald Köhler, Head of System Management at APG.

From transmitting master data and next-day consumption schedules to bid placement and redispatch activation, all necessary steps were tested under realistic conditions. The facilities of the participating industrial enterprises successfully met the requirements of redispatch activation, which demanded deviations from the original schedules. This confirmed that automated redispatch activation by industrial enterprises functions effectively in practice.

“In the framework of the I4RD project, we achieved our central goal: as a project consortium, we succeeded in convincingly demonstrating through this trial that the aggregated activation of redispatch services from multiple flexible components is feasible—taking into account the respective grid conditions in distribution networks,” explains Tara Esterl, project leader and head of the Integrated Energy Systems Department at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.

Innovative Automation of Redispatch Processes

The aim of the I4RD project is to enable industrial enterprises to contribute to redispatch provision and to fully automate this process. Redispatch measures control the physical flow of electricity in the grid to prevent overloads and ensure supply security. Until now, these measures have primarily been coordinated manually by the transmission system operator using thermal and hydroelectric power plants. By automating and integrating industrial enterprises, conventional fossil power plants can be gradually replaced in the long term.

Successful Implementation of TSO-DSO Interaction

Another key element of the demonstration was the successful implementation of the so-called TSO-DSO interaction, ensuring that redispatch measures do not cause overloads in the distribution network. A procedure was developed within the project to filter bids from the distribution network that could lead to local issues. For this, capacity information from the distribution system operators (DSOs) was integrated into the process.

Cooperation for the Future of the Power Grid

For the first time in Austria, the I4RD project brings together all relevant stakeholders to utilise untapped flexibilities from industrial customers and medium-sized companies for the redispatch process. Alongside the development of a new redispatch product to integrate these flexibilities, various incentive models as well as legal and regulatory frameworks were also examined.

With the successful completion of this demonstration, the project has taken another step towards an automated and future-ready redispatch process, contributing significantly to grid stabilisation and the integration of renewable energies.

Project Partners

The flagship project I4RD is a key initiative within the innovation network NEFI – New Energy for Industry. Led by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, the partners include Ankerbrot GmbH, APG Austrian Power Grid, Energie Kompass GmbH, Energienetze Steiermark GmbH, EVN AG, evon GmbH, kleinkraft. OG, Mondi AG, Netz Burgenland GmbH, Netz Niederösterreich GmbH, Netz Oberösterreich GmbH, Siemens AG, TU Wien – Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics, TU Wien – Institute for Mechanics and Mechatronics, Research Division for Control Engineering and Process Automation, voestalpine Stahl GmbH, and Wiesbauer Holding AG. More information about the project can be found here.

The I4RD Project Enables Automated TSO-DSO Interaction. With this solution, enterprises can provide their flexibility via a platform and receive compensation if their bid is accepted. The TSO now has a broader range of options and is no longer solely dependent on power plants for redispatch. This solution is a key technology for the optimal utilisation and secure electricity supply in Austria.

What is …
Redispatch

According to Directive EU 2019/943, “redispatch” refers to a measure activated by one or more transmission or distribution system operators by modifying the generation or load pattern, or both, to change physical power flows within the electricity system, alleviate physical congestion, or otherwise ensure system security.

TSO – Transmission System Operator

The Transmission System Operator (TSO) operates the infrastructure of regional and national power grids for electricity transmission, including the procurement of redispatch. It ensures the proper maintenance and sizing of the grid, provides electricity suppliers with non-discriminatory access, and procures balancing energy when needed to stabilise frequency fluctuations caused by imbalances between electricity generation and consumption at any given time.

DSO – Distribution System Operator

The Distribution System Operator (DSO) operates power grids to distribute electricity to end users (households, small consumers, and small to medium-sized industrial enterprises). Some large customers, such as energy-intensive industries, may also be directly connected to the transmission grid. The DSO manages electricity grids at low, medium, and high voltage levels for regional power supply. It operates downstream of the TSO, which transmits electricity over long distances through extra-high voltage networks.

For Further Questions

Mag. Margit Özelt
www.nefi.at/en/