Enedis & RTE at the heart of SMILE
Leading stakeholders in the success of the SMILE project, the implication and the investments of these two public service companies, RTE and Enedis, are a considerable asset in terms of visibility, renown and credibility in the minds of the project sponsors and the general public.
RTE : a new digital and flexible network to boost the Energy Transition
For RTE, (French electricity transmission system operator), Brittany and the Pays de la Loire represent a formidable field laboratory for the challenges to meet in supporting the Energy Transition across the whole territory. By committing to SMILE (€30M in investments between 2017 and 2020), RTE is supporting the competiveness and drawing power of the territories and serving the interests of local authorities (safer supply, controlled costs, increasing economic attractiveness).
Heralding the network of tomorrow, the “new generation” electrical substations designed by RTE have positioned the Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions as pilot regions. These 4 substations (for a voltage of 225,000) will be deployed: the first two in Bezon (Centre of Brittany) and in Merlatière (Vendée), the other two in Malestroit (Morbihan, 63,000 volts) and Palluau (Vendée, 90,000 volts).
The advantage of these new substations in the SMILE project: enable RTE to combine state of the art electrical engineering technologies with digital technologies. Equipped with optical fibres and sensors, they measure the flow in the electrical system in real time and gather an important volume of data, so as to optimise the operations of the electric network.
These new installations enable us to integrate up to 30% more renewable energy, thus contributing efficiently to the success of the Energy Transition in the Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions.
Investments worthy of the stakes
Between 2017and 2020, RTE will invest 30 million Euros in the deployment of their “new generation” electrical substations: high and very high voltage equipment fitted with optic fibres and sensors (to measure the flow in the electrical system in real time and gather data to optimise the network). Beyond digitising the infrastructures, this major investment is accompanied by another major challenge for RTE: controlling digital data to control the electric network. Often very detailed, and available in real time, it allows for quicker and more effective reactions than in the past. A challenge that has led to the implementation of a web portal (Open Data) and an application (Eco2mix): two solutions designed to provide users, residents and experts with new digital tools capable of providing useful information (recommendations, tables, graphics, etc.) to improve the management of energy.
Enedis invests in the SMILE territory to accompany local projects
The SMILE project is an integral part of the Enedis roadmap in its ambition to modernise the national electrical network and in the industrialisation of smart grids. This ambition is fully in line with the SMILE prerequisites (reduce electric consumption, triple the production of renewable energy, support the demand for electric mobility and provide secure energy data). A context which logically positions Enedis as a partner in the Energy Transition, and whose influence and impact naturally nurture numerous initiatives related to SMILE actions.
How Enedis supports SMILE
- Investments relating to modernisation of tools: to accompany the Energy Transition, Enedis provides project sponsors (ever increasing) with the opportunity to easily assess the impact of their project on the electrical network (as well as on an economic level) or to access consumption data with the customers’ consent.
- Modernisation of network infrastructures: notably through the digitisation of 34 source stations (to switch to dynamic management of the electric network) and major investments in keeping with the Smart Grid Vendée project (for €25M in total).
- Providing new energy services: in particular on the “data” section with the provision of secure annual consumption and production data sets from energy hubs such as PRIDE (Regional innovation hub for Energy data) or the EnedisOpen Data.
- Supporting regional projects: identify and showcase local projects on electric mobility, renovation, self-consumption or flexibility.
- Highlight industrial solutions through show-rooms and visits, showing the expertise of Enedis and of its partners and stakeholders.
Concrete achievements
- Renewable energies: over 300 renewable energy projects launched in the SMILE territory (262 PV solar plant projects, 30 wind turbine projects, 29 biogas projects, and a dozen collaborative self-consumption projects) identified by Enedis for rapid integration into the network at reduced costs.
- Digital: the 34 source stations will be equipped with the latest digital and monitoring technologies for a dynamic management of the network. The agences de conduite régionale (ACR) in Nantes and Vern-sur-Seiche, veritable control towers ensuring an optimal flow of energies, will pilot, in real time, the information exchange systems implemented in producer sites linked to middle voltage.
- Energy efficiency: thanks, notably to the deployment of 2 million Linky meters to diagnostic, target, encourage and assess energy economy actions.
- Territorial projects: 400 high and low voltage distribution stations will become smarter through the installation of sensors and telecommunications equipment to facilitate the development of Ecodistricts.
