The SEAI has awarded €1m to Irish companies and research institutions carrying out renewable energy research across Europe.

Seven projects developing smart energy systems and offshore renewable energy which include Irish collaboration have been awarded Government funding. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) announced that it is giving €1m through the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, with additional funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

The Irish companies and research institutions are included in the ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems funding call worth €33m – involving 30 national and regional funding partners across 23 countries – and the Ocean Energy ERA-Net Co-fund worth €6.82m.

Speaking of this latest funding, SEAI CEO William Walsh said: “I am delighted that we can facilitate Irish participation in these initiatives by providing research funding and support.

“These collaborative projects bring people together to create new ideas, form new partnerships and find solutions to the challenges we face as we transition towards a cleaner energy future.”

The four successful ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems projects with Irish partners are:

Beyond – International Energy Research Centre, Tyndall National Institute/University College Cork and ESB Networks

This project will demonstrate market designs for the integration of local ‘smart grids’ into centralised grids; including investigating the application of blockchain technologies.

EV-Chip – The Energy Institute/University College Dublin

This project will explore the potential for centrally-optimised electric vehicle charging, integrated with building energy management systems.

Redap – Spatial Outlook, the Irish Centre for High-End Computing and Codema

This project aims to automate, improve and replicate an Irish energy demand analysis system designed for the Dublin region and in other European regions.

PIGergy – GlasPort Bio

This project aims to develop and validate innovative solutions to treat pig waste.

Ocean Energy ERA-Net Co-fund

The three successful Ocean Energy ERA-Net Co-fund projects with Irish partners are:

Optimor – ORPC Ireland

This project aims to deliver a multi-MW crossflow tidal power system for deployment in European markets.

WEC4Ports – ÉireComposites

This project will explore the integration of wave energy converters in port breakwaters in order to develop a cost-effective mechanism of delivering renewable energy for significant transport hubs.

SeaSnake – Ocean WaveVenture

The main goal of the SeaSnake project is to provide a step change in the overall performance of a medium voltage cable system, while ensuring that they are highly reliable and lower the risks of ocean energy installations.