New project chases net-zero renewable energy systems for the Atlantic Area

Posted on: 19 October 2023

Their overarching focus will be on providing secure renewable energy sources – both for industrial consumers and local communities.

The funding for this research – which brings together nine academic, industry, and non-governmental partners – comes from the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme 2021-2027.

Aonghus McNabola, Professor in Trinity’s School of Engineering and co-lead, said:

“The need for more sustainable energy systems grows more pressing as each year passes with many European countries, including Ireland, taking steps towards their carbon reduction targets but without making the leaps required. HY4RES is an example of a project that, along with many others, can help us get closer to our goals and make a genuine societal impact.

“The project combines innovation in renewable energy systems in the form of new technology and digital solutions to produce hybrid systems for the decarbonisation of the Atlantic Area – with solar, wind and pumped storage hydropower resources to be combined. The resultant hybrid systems should offer energy self-sufficiency for communities via micro-grids, and for industry consumers, making significant impacts at different scales.”

Specifically, the project will seek to develop:

• New solutions for low-cost, modular, fish-friendly and sea-water compatible hydropower energy storage
• Intelligent asset management systems for optimising renewable energy resources and energy demands, including improved forecasting and control capabilities using artificial intelligence
• Piloting hybrid renewable energy micro-grids for communities and self-consuming industrial uses across differing sectors, climates and geographies, including: agriculture, aqua-culture, ports and community energy demands

John Gallagher, Professor in Trinity’s School of Engineering and co-lead, added:

“Another key element of the project will be a detailed life cycle sustainability assessment of the impacts deploying these technologies across the wider Atlantic Area. Our approach is to take into account the economic, environmental, social and policy considerations within our design and selection process for our hybrid renewable energy solutions.

“Of course, developing an active energy community of practice, with whom we can disseminate and communicate the results from our HY4RES work is crucial, as it will support  this transnational challenge across the agriculture, aquaculture and ports sectors.” 

Paul Coughlan, Professor in Trinity Business School and co-lead, said:

 “Developing hybrid renewable energy systems for a green transition is a challenge that requires different disciplines and practitioners to collaborate for impact. The consortium has the appropriate mix of capabilities with which to co-develop an ability to ‘learn-to-learn’ from this transdisciplinary research initiative.”

Along with the Trinity leads (Prof. Aonghus McNabola, Dr John Gallagher, and Prof. Paul Coughlan from Trinity Business School), the project brings together researchers and experts from Easy Hydro Ltd; University of Cordoba; Feragua; IST Lisbon; University of Oviedo; AC3A; Vertigo Lab; and IG Energy.

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