P R E S S R E L E A S E
Local authorities and industrial firms in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region join forces to support wide-scale deployment of Smart Grids
Yesterday, 17 July 2015, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) Region submitted the regional “FLEXGRID” bid in response to a call for projects launched by the French government on 15 April, in its effort to select a region for wide-scale deployment of Smart Grids. This innovative project, which brings together local authorities, industrial firms, competitiveness clusters and PRIDES (regional joint innovation and economic development clusters), involves wide-scale experiments that aim to tackle major energy transition challenges.
As electricity production methods become more diverse, energy sustainability rises up the agenda, our practices change, and new digital technologies come to the fore, grid managers are being forced to rethink their processes. Moreover, grid management processes also need to encompass cybersecurity, interactivity and adaptability considerations, building on the development of a new generation of “Smart Grids”.
In the winning region, grid managers (RTE, ERDF) will invest €50-80 million in deploying a smart grid, commencing with the initial roll-out of more than 150,000 Linky smart meters.
The FLEXGRID partners are looking to build on the thriving regional ecosystem to encourage the deployment of Smart Grids in the PACA region – an area facing major economic, social and environmental challenges. In 2015, the global smart grids market was worth an estimated €30 billion per year. Deploying these grids in the region will help enhance its economic standing, safeguard electricity supply in the east of the region, and help tackle climate change.
In May, the PACA Region invited local authorities to form a consortium of “PACA Smart Grids authorities”, to boost their chances of success in submitting a bid for the national call for projects. FLEXGRID is a joint projectinvolving Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, Marseille Provence Métropole, Communauté d’Agglomération du Pays d’Aix, Syndicat d’Agglomération Nouvelle Ouest Provence, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Department, Pays Serre-Ponçon Ubaye Durance, and Communauté de Communes Provence Verdon, as well as variousenergy distribution authorities.
The FLEXGRID project enjoys strong backing from regional industrial firms, coordinated by the Capenergies and SCS competitiveness clusters. Leading industrial partners include EDF, Orange, Alstom, ST Microelectronics and the CEA (which works to accelerate R&D transfer to industry).
FLEXGRID is also backed by a pool of innovative SMEs, alongside research and training centres. The project builds on previous experiments that have delivered encouraging results, such as PREMIO in Lambesc (Bouches-du-Rhône), NICE GRID, INFINIDRIVE and REFLEXE in Nice Côte d’Azur (Alpes-Maritimes) – one of the project’s main areas of focus – and the recently accredited Nice Sophia Antipolis Smart Campus. This thriving, high-tech local ecosystem means that PACA is now one of the pioneering regions in this field.
FLEXGRID will secure more than €200 million of investment from public and private partners for infrastructure and equipment, to ensure that these projects benefit the energy transition and economic development.
In line with other projects recently accredited by the French government – French Tech Aix-Marseille, Avignon Provence Culture and Nice Côte d’Azur – FLEXGRID reflects the determination of members of the PACA ecosystem to develop innovative projects and enhance the region’s global standing as a hub of innovation and creativity.
Presscontacts:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region - Anaïs Denis - +33 (0)6 83 63 34 51 - Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur - Elodie Ching - +33 (0)6 83 97 62 18 -