Grid Resilience Solutions

Grid bottlenecks are a feature — not a bug — of the energy transition. For years, we viewed economics as the main hurdle to scaling clean energy. High costs for wind, solar, heat pumps, and storage dominated the conversation. But the world has changed. Thanks to extraordinary innovation and dramatic cost reductions in renewables and electrification technologies, the bottlenecks we face today are different. They’re no longer about whether clean energy is affordable — it is. Instead, the challenge is whether our energy systems can evolve quickly enough to integrate it. A recent Financial Times piece highlights this clearly: across Europe, the rapid build-out of renewable generation now outpaces the ability of grids to move electricity to where it’s needed. Curtailment, congestion, and long queues for grid connections already cost billions annually — and without decisive action, these costs will grow. This isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a sign of success. It means the transition is happening faster than the infrastructure built for the fossil era can handle. The rise of decentralised, variable renewables and electrified heating and transport requires a fundamentally different approach to planning — one that anticipates growth rather than reacts to it. The EU’s move toward more coordinated, top-down scenario building and cross-border grid planning recognises exactly this. Better alignment between countries and system operators, faster permitting, and prioritisation of critical projects are essential steps to unlock the full value of cheap clean energy. Because every euro lost to bottlenecks is not a cost of climate action — it’s a cost of not modernising our grids fast enough. The more successful we are in deploying renewables and electrification, the more urgently we must upgrade and expand our grids. Grid constraints are not a reason to slow down. They’re a reason to speed up the transformation of an energy system that was never designed for the technologies now powering our transition.

April 6th: A bright spring day in Germany, one that perfectly illustrates the need for battery storage systems. Like so many other sunny days, PV generation in Germany covered a large portion of the electricity demand for several hours in the middle of the day, thanks to the cloudless sky and millions of solar modules. But there is a darker side to the sunshine. Large amounts of daytime solar can overload the grid and cause severe electricity price fluctuations: on April 6th, intraday electricity prices dropped to -200€/MWh at their lowest point. In cases where more electricity is generated from solar energy than the grid can handle, grid operators regularly require solar installations to curtail their production. This means that energy that could otherwise be made available to consumers cannot be used. And when the sun goes down, most of the demand must quickly be met with flexible sources. This adds an extra layer of complexity: deciding which conventional power plants can be shut down during the day and switched on again in the evening is a careful balancing act. This is precisely the situation where battery energy storage systems (BESS) can bridge the gap, with several advantages: - By storing part of the solar energy at peak generation times and dispatching it later, BESS can help shift the curve to more closely align with evening demand. - Better management of volatile generation from renewables also helps keep prices stable. - Provided they are close to the overproducing solar systems, BESS contribute to grid stability by helping balance supply and demand. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all technology. A secure and flexible energy system needs a diverse mix. But batteries are playing an increasing role, especially as they become more and more affordable. We at RWE are harnessing the benefits: we have 1.2 GW of installed BESS capacity worldwide, of which nine systems totalling 364 MW of capacity operate in Germany alone. We’re scaling fast, with new large-scale projects recently commissioned in Germany and the Netherlands. And we have just decided to build a BESS facility in Hamm with an installed capacity of 600 megawatts. So, let’s continue to make the most of those sunny days — by creating the right framework conditions to build up affordable and flexible support.

One data point worth pausing on… According to the latest Sightline Climate (CTVC) analysis (https://lnkd.in/ezEChF5h), TDK Ventures was the most active corporate VC in climate tech in 2025 by deal count. In that context, being at the top of the list feels less like an accolade and more like a mirror held up to the market. At this point, the scale of what is happening in energy is no longer debatable. AI-driven power demand, grid modernization, electrification, and industrial transformation are converging fast. The need for clean, firm, and resilient energy is no longer cyclical or thematic. It’s structural. Against that backdrop, being highly active shouldn’t feel exceptional. It raises a different question: if this opportunity is so clear, who is choosing not to lean in, or not to stay the course? Most of the technologies that truly move the needle — grid infrastructure, long-duration storage, advanced materials, power electronics, and AI-enabling systems — do not fit neatly into short funding cycles or hype-driven timelines. They demand endurance paired with conviction. We see this firsthand across our 2025 investments and broader portfolio: - Grid-scale and long-duration storage with Peak Energy, including a $500M+ deployment agreement reshaping the economics of the grid - Advanced grid infrastructure and power electronics through Amperesand’s $80M raise for solid-state transformer technology - AI infrastructure at the physical layer, from photonics with Mixx Technologies Inc’ $33M Series A to inference compute with Groq’s $750M recent funding round (and $20B moment) - Electrification at scale, from industrial systems to mobility, including Ultraviolette Automotive’s electric motorcycles in India - Edge and systems intelligence, with EdgeCortix as our first investment in Japan, bringing AI closer to where energy and data meet - Data center and logistics infrastructure, from Nubis Communications’ acquisition by Ciena to Starship Technologies’ $50M Series C for autonomous delivery What is emerging across the ecosystem is a clear divide: 🔹 Plenty of capital is willing to show up early 🔹 Far less capital is willing to remain engaged when progress is nonlinear, engineering-heavy, and occasionally quiet At TDK Ventures, we invest with urgency because the transition demands action, but we approach the work with endurance, mindful that only patient capital has the chance to compound over time. Conviction without endurance fades. Endurance without conviction stalls. From that perspective, this moment is less about volume than about consistency: the responsibility to remain engaged in sectors that matter, even when they are capital-intensive, technically complex, or temporarily out of favor. The work continues. And so does the commitment.

The Netherlands just unlocked 9GW of grid capacity without even building new lines. They’re using it to connect record levels of battery storage. 🇳🇱 Around a third of Dutch homes have rooftop solar, offshore wind will be the biggest source of energy by 2030, and the country has the highest penetration of EV chargers in Europe. It also has one of the most congested grids. While it is clear that our grids need to be modernised and expanded to integrate renewables, this can take years. Years that we don’t have, as new renewables, batteries, heat pumps are struggling to get connected. To better manage the grid, the Dutch TSO TenneT introduced “off-peak” flexible connection contracts. A user, such as a solar farm, would only have full access the grid 85% of the time. During peak periods for the grid, the TSO can partially or fully limit use. The TSO calculates that 9GW of capacity is available during off-peak hours, and is awarding 6GW to battery storage projects, which themselves can help better manage congestion further. The grid is not just about build, build, build, and the Netherlands shows it. We need countries to enact Rapid Capacity Plans, a toolbox of measures to unlock capacity today, while buying the time needed to expand the grid.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱-𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀   On 30 September 2025, Transgrid announced a tender for about 1 GW of grid-forming battery (GFM BESS) system-strength services – the first step towards 5 GW.  The design is simple but transformative: 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆-𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Here’s why and how Australia is changing gears.   𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁  - 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 – High-renewables grids now lack “system-forming strength + flexibility”, not more spinning steel.  - 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 – GFM BESS delivers strength while earning from arbitrage, frequency regulation and congestion relief, cutting total cost.  - 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Placed at Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and bottlenecks to lift connection capacity directly.  - 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Firmware updates enable droop control, black-start and fault-ride-through to match new standards.   𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀  - 𝗙𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 – GFM current limits demand adaptive protection coordination.  - 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 – Model alignment, parameter tuning and hold-point testing across scenarios.  - 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Defining verifiable “system-strength capability” and enforceable performance terms.  - 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Weak-grid voltage control and relay integration.  - 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 – Long-lead parts, EPC interfaces and controller updates.   𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽  - 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 (1–3 yrs) – Hybrid mix: renewables + condensers + GFM BESS. Condensers anchor VAR and faults; GFM builds stability.  - 𝗠𝗶𝗱 (3–7 yrs) – GFM-led fleet with condensers at critical nodes. Mature the “standard – testing – payment” loop.  - 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 (>7 yrs) – GFM + digital protection replace most new condensers, keeping rotating back-up only where needed.   This is not about “opposing condensers” but “buying the right capability”. As the grid’s challenge shifts from “generating power” to “ensuring stability and usability”, assets must evolve from single-function to programmable multi-capability.   ✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆  Australia’s system-strength strategy is entering a phase where GFM BESS complement synchronous machines – with payments finally reflecting true grid value.    🤔 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻  Which barrier is most critical for large-scale GFM BESS rollout – testing, fault-levels, or performance verification?   #TechToValue #GridForming #BESS

Alberta Just Told Data Centres: You’re Not Loads, You’re Grid Actors Alberta is drawing the line: data centres must act like generation if they want to connect. AESO’s draft Connection Requirements for Transmission-Connected Data Centres (TCDCs) rewrite what it means to be a ‘load. This isn’t just guidance. It’s the blueprint for binding rules. Core Rules for Data Centres: ➤ Ramping capped at 10 MW/min. AI clusters can ramp 100+ MW in seconds, but Alberta says: slow down. Compute must move at grid speed, not machine speed. ➤ Ride-through enforced. Ride through voltage sags below 45% of normal for 0.15 seconds, frequency swings as low as 57 Hz for nearly 5 minutes, and RoCoF up to 5 Hz/s. No disappearing acts. In practice: data centres must survive faults that would trip an industrial site because dropping hundreds of MW instantly is worse than riding through. ➤ Reactive power is mandatory. ±0.95 Power Factor with sub-second response. Loads must hold up voltages. ➤ Oscillations restricted. Net variability must stay below 16 kW per 100 ms and forced oscillations in the sub-synchronous band must stay under ±160 kW. Harmonics must be measured, reported, mitigated. Stability is not optional. ➤ Load shedding built in. Centres must trip portions of demand on command. And then come the quiet revolutions: • Backup power is emergency-only, no gensets tariff games. • ≥300 MW loads require dual SCADA paths; ≥500 MW must build physically diverse telecoms. Grid visibility is non-negotiable. • Every site must hand over EMT and phasor models, validated against real disturbance tests. Paper is dead; proof is alive. • Planning anchors are explicit: MSDC = 200 MW, Ramp30 = 300 MW/30 min. Why this matters: Alberta’s record peak demand is just 12.4 GW (Jan 2024), on a system with limited interties: one main 500 kV AC intertie to BC plus smaller AC links, including to Montana. Compare that to: • ERCOT, where summer peaks now push 90–100 GW • PJM, where summer peaks exceed 160 GW, with ~185 GW installed capacity Scale Matters: ▪ In ERCOT, the sudden trip of a 500 MW load is background noise. ▪ In Alberta, it’s a province-wide event, the equivalent of losing ~4% of system demand in an instant. That’s why AESO isn’t waiting for NERC’s 2026 guideline. It’s moving first. Each rule targets risks NERC already flagged: ramping, ride-through, SCADA, oscillations. This isn’t guesswork. It’s local action built on continental risk frameworks. This is Alberta drawing a line before hyperscale AI, crypto, and cloud reshape its grid. The real question is whether larger grids worldwide will act or wait until instability makes the choice for them. My view: This is the start of a new era. Programmable demand is no longer a silent passenger. It’s a grid actor, with obligations. 👉 The question is: will larger grids act before instability makes the choice for them? #DataCenters #AI #PowerSystems #GridStability #Policy #EnergyTransition #SystemStrength

As Europe experiences its first major heatwave of the summer, the fragility of our current energy system becomes strikingly clear.   Temperatures are rising well above 30°C, and with that, demand for cooling is spiking. Air conditioning systems are running at full capacity across households, offices, and industries. At the very same time, nuclear power plants are being forced to reduce output—because river levels are too low and temperatures are too high to provide sufficient cooling water.   So just as demand rises, reliable baseload power disappears. And yet, there’s no shortage of electricity—at least not from the sun.   Solar PV systems are generating in abundance, feeding large volumes of clean energy into the grid. In fact, there’s so much solar at times that we’re seeing negative electricity prices.That might sound like a success story.    Midday solar surpluses are only helpful if we can store and shift that energy to when and where it's actually needed. What we’re missing is system flexibility—the ability to balance supply and demand over time, across regions, and in response to changing weather.   This is exactly where battery storage and advanced grid technologies come into play.   SMA Solar’s grid-forming solution allow solar and storage to provide not just clean power, but also critical grid services: ✅ Real-time voltage and frequency support ✅ Synthetic inertia and short-circuit current ✅ Rapid frequency response far beyond what traditional plants can deliver I’m calling on policymakers to turn ambition into action—and create the conditions to unlock the full potential of clean, dispatchable solar energy.

With electricity demand surging, the U.S. transmission system is approaching its limits. Yet building new lines often takes 5 to 15 years due to permitting, environmental reviews, and land-use constraints. ⚡️Reconductoring offers a faster, lower-impact alternative. By upgrading existing lines with advanced conductors like ACCC or ACCR, utilities can double or even triple capacity—without building new towers or acquiring new rights-of-way. These high-temperature, low-sag (HTLS) conductors use materials such as carbon fiber to minimize sag and maximize throughput. 👉🏽 Why it matters: * Up to 3x current-carrying capacity using existing infrastructure. * Deployment in 18 to 36 months—far quicker than new construction. * 98% of U.S. transmission lines are viable for reconductoring. GridLab estimates reconductoring alone could provide over 80% of the additional transmission capacity needed to reach U.S. clean electricity goals by 2035. Yes, challenges like precision tensioning, splicing, and structural assessments remain, but they’re manageable with current tools, standards, and workforce skills. This is a proven, scalable solution that deserves greater attention. What’s your take? 👇🏽

⚡️ Why isn’t AC enough anymore? The case for HVDC. For over a century, alternating current (AC) has been the workhorse of power transmission. But as our energy systems expand across continents and into offshore wind farms, AC is starting to hit its limits. On long-distance lines, reactive power starts to dominate, capacitive charging currents reduce capacity, and synchronizing frequency between grids becomes a real challenge. That’s where HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) steps in — and changes the game. With losses as low as 3.5% per 1000 km, HVDC lines outperform AC by a wide margin when it comes to long-distance transmission. There's no reactive power, no frequency synchronization issues, and full control over power flow. Yes, converter stations are expensive — but once your line exceeds 600 km overhead or 50 km subsea, HVDC becomes not just viable, but the smarter choice economically. Here’s a mind-blowing stat: modern HVDC links can transmit up to 6 GW at ±800 kV. That's enough to power an entire megacity — across time zones, terrain, and even between countries that don’t share grid frequency. And it’s already happening: 🇬🇧 🇳🇴  North Sea Link (UK–Norway) 🇮🇳��Raigarh–Pugalur (India) 🇨🇳 China–Pakistan Corridor 🌀 Offshore wind connected directly to urban loads HVDC is no longer niche — it’s critical infrastructure. Now engineers are solving the next big challenges: 🔧 Multi-terminal HVDC systems 🔧 High-speed DC circuit breakers 🔧 Protection strategies for asynchronous faults 🔧 Insulation coordination in power-electronic converters 💡 Bottom line: HVDC isn’t just about moving electrons. It’s about engineering strategy, grid resilience, and building the foundation for a clean, global energy future. Are you working with HVDC? Modeling, designing, planning, or just exploring? Let’s connect — and talk power 🔌🔨🤖🔧 #HVDC #ElectricalEngineering #PowerTransmission #EnergyTransition #SmartGrid #EngineeringCuriosity #Renewables #PowerSystems #GridModernization

🔋 Why Grid Frequency Matters – and How Inertia Keeps the Lights On Did you know that the stability of our entire power grid depends on keeping frequency within ±0.1 Hz of its target value (50 Hz or 60 Hz worldwide)? If it drifts ±0.5 Hz outside the norm, grids enter emergency mode, risking blackouts. A more extreme deviation? It could lead to a full system failure—costing economies millions and endangering lives. At the heart of frequency stability is inertia—the kinetic energy stored in the spinning turbines of synchronous generators. This “rotating mass” acts like a shock absorber, slowing down frequency changes when sudden disruptions occur (like losing a 1 GW power plant). 🛁 Imagine it like a bathtub: The tap = power generation (flowing in) The drain = consumption (flowing out) The water level = frequency The size of the tub = inertia As long as inflow and outflow are equal, the water level (frequency) stays stable. But if the flow changes? The level moves. And the bigger the tub (more inertia), the slower and smaller the change. ⚡️ As we transition to renewables (which often lack inherent inertia), maintaining frequency stability becomes even more challenging, and innovative solutions are needed to “artificially” replicate inertia in modern grids. 👉 What role do you see for battery storage, synthetic inertia, or demand response in solving this challenge? Let’s talk about the future of grid stability. #Energy #PowerSystems #GridFrequency #Inertia #Renewables #Electricity #SmartGrid #EnergyTransition #PowerQuality