On Thursday, 4 November, BTC City Ljubljana hosted the opening ceremony at the start of phase two operations of project NEDO. This is a 6-year smart grid and smart community project, in the scope of which the reliability of electric energy supply for the broader Ljubljana area will be provided by setting up energy storage systems. Along with the main partners – the Japanese development agency NEDO and its authorised contractor Hitachi and ELES – the BTC Company is also included in the project.

NEDO is a unique energy project of its kind in Europe, which will enable uninterrupted supply of electric energy using batteries or energy storage systems. Phase two of project NEDO includes setting up a battery in BTC City Ljubljana, establishing an advanced energy management information system (AEMS) on several buildings in BTC City Ljubljana, setting up a battery in Idrija and establishing an advanced energy management information system for end-users in Idrija, who are included in the project.

In phase two of the project, the BTC Company provided space for setting up the battery and participated in establishing the AEMS in BTC City Ljubljana. The energy storage system in BTC City Ljubljana will to an even greater extent connect the BTC area with the city of Ljubljana. Along with Ljubljana’s Thermal Power Plant, ELES and Elektro Ljubljana will in case of unexpected events (e.g., power outages) provide electricity to the larger part of the city – the BTC City area and the larger part of Ljubljana, including the most important systems, such as the University Medical Centre of Ljubljana and the Thermal Power Plant.

As part of the project, a battery with a nominal power of 4 MW and a capacity of 8 MWh was installed in BTC City Ljubljana. The battery will first and foremost prevent voltage drops in Aquafil and ensure the transition to island mode operation of TE-TOL Ljubljana without downtime, while during regular operation, it will be used for system services of ELES. The project will ensure greater reliability of electric energy supply and thereby reduce the risks in case of power outages, as well as the optimisation of air conditioning devices and cooling aggregates, resulting in the reduction of electric energy costs for larger buildings in BTC City Ljubljana.

Upon the start of phase two of the project, Damjan Kralj, M.Sc., Chief Executive Officer of the BTC Company, pointed out: “At the BTC Company, we want to be an active member in creating solutions of the future. Therefore, we proudly include our innovative business ecosystem BTC City Ljubljana as a testing ground and an area of implementing new solutions in the fields of sustainable energy and smart city management. In the scope of project NEDO, we are making a big shift toward the innovative use of electric energy with new storage- and grid management systems. A project of this kind is a unique experience of development and learning for all the participating partners, ensuring we are better prepared for the future.”

The ceremony at the start of phase two of project NEDO was attended by Zdravko Počivalšek, Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Aleš Mihelič, State Secretary with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Hiromichi Matsushima, Ambassador of Japan in Slovenia, Hiroaki Ishizuka, Representative of the Japanese Development Agency NEDO, Aleksander Mervar, CEO of ELES, and Katsuya Nagano, Representative of Hitachi. Jože Mermal, Chairman of the Board of Directors at BTC, met with the distinguished guests.

Upon the opening, Aleksander Mervar, CEO of ELES, pointed out: “Today’s event represents a milestone in the cooperation of Slovenia and Japan in the fields of energy and high technology. Hereby, Slovenia’s position is among the best in Europe with regard to smart grids, giving us the possibility of successfully implementing such projects in cooperation with the third largest economy in the world – Japan. Over the past few years, young experts from both countries have built a successful cooperation, therefore, I believe that with the successfully implemented project NEDO, there will be new opportunities for both countries to continue cooperating in the field of energy.”

NEDO is a six-year smart grid project whose principal partners are the Japanese development agency NEDO, its authorised contractor Hitachi, and ELES, which manages and coordinates the project. The activities are carried out on the infrastructure of the owners of the distribution grid in Slovenia. Included in the project are also the local community of Idrija and BTC City Ljubljana. NEDO co-finances the modern equipment of Japanese and Slovene providers of solutions, whereas ELES finances the development of advanced functionalities which will – along with the equipment – form an advanced infrastructure of smart grids. The total estimated value of the project is 35 million Euro, which makes it one of the largest Japanese investments in Slovenia.

For over two decades, the BTC Company has followed the directives of sustainable development as an indispensable component of business success. The BTCC has implemented numerous projects that strengthen the business, innovative and social ecosystem of the company and are beneficial to the broader business and social environment. In creating sustainability projects, the BTC Company has actively cooperated with numerous business partners from various fields, such as energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and safety, waste and water management, and social responsibility.

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