Slovenian electricity transmission and distribution system operator ELES has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Siemens Energy, a leading global producer of energy equipment and advanced solutions. This strategic partnership aims to develop innovative digital technologies and sustainable solutions for the international electricity sector through a collaborative research project.
As part of this initiative, ELES and Siemens Energy plan to create a new digital landscape that includes augmented and virtual reality technologies, as well as design robots for inspecting distribution transformer stations. The partnership will focus on developing advanced sensor monitoring solutions for energy infrastructure and creating digital twins of high-voltage transmission lines and distribution transformer stations. A key goal of this collaboration is to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the energy sector.
The MoU outlines several areas of cooperation, including research and idea generation, the development and validation of concepts, prototype creation, and product testing based on these prototypes. Additionally, the agreement encompasses engineering development and testing related to asset monitoring, condition assessment, and infrastructure management of the electricity network. It also includes the design, staffing, and equipping of the ELES DigitaLab, a digital energy lab dedicated to developing, piloting, and testing advanced digital grid technologies, as well as strengthening international collaboration between academia and industry.