The CIGRE 2024 Session, a major event for the energy sector, took place from August 25 to 30 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. The event attracted over 4,500 delegates and 10,000 visitors. A significant delegation from RSE also contributed to the success of the event, participating in various meetings and discussions.

CIGRE is the world’s leading global community for collaborative development and knowledge sharing on the power system. Within the Italian National Committee, Claudia Imposimato, from the SCV Function – Development, Communication, and Enhancement at RSE, is responsible for the Technical Secretariat, supported by Paolo Mazza, Head of the Research Group “T&D Components Measurement and Diagnostics” in the TTD – Transmission and Distribution Technologies Department of RSE.

On August 25, the first joint meeting of the A3.49 “Ageing of Instrument Transformers” and A3.50 “On-site Calibration and Verification of Instrument Transformer Accuracy” working groups, led by Paolo Mazza, took place. The purpose of the meeting was to present the activities, define possible cross-fertilization topics, and explore the mutual benefits of the two groups’ activities.

On August 26, Luciano Martini, Director of the TTD Department, spoke at the opening panel of CIGRE, titled “A roadmap to energy systems of the future: decarbonisation with flexibility and resilience.” The session, attended by 1,700 participants, was organized into three forums. The first two forums gathered perspectives from transmission (TSO) and distribution (DSO) system operators, while the third addressed regulatory and market aspects related to the use of distributed energy resources (DER) and cybersecurity.

Martini contributed to the third forum by sharing Italy’s experience in implementing policies and mechanisms to ensure the widespread deployment of the vast additional renewable capacity required to meet the national 2030 targets. He emphasized minimizing overall system costs. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of including cybersecurity in national and international regulations and shared relevant experiences from RSE in supporting the development of Italian DER connection standards and electric vehicle charging infrastructure regulations. This work was a result of interdepartmental collaboration, supported by Michele Benini, Director of the SSE – Energy Systems Development Department, Deputy Director Diana Moneta, and TTD Project Manager Giovanna Dondossola.

After the panel, Luciano Martini participated in the CEO forum, a key event for the global energy systems industry, where four critical topics were presented to over 300 CEOs.

On August 26, Paolo Mazza delivered a presentation during the poster session of Study Committee A3 – Transmission and Distribution Equipment, discussing two contributions: one related to the WG A3.50 activities and on-site calibration of instrument transformers, which received significant recognition in Europe and internationally, and another on the activities of IEC TC 38 – Instrument Transformers, focusing on the liaison between CIGRE and IEC.

Additionally, on August 27, a workshop titled “Energy communities’ impact on power grids” was held, during which Luciano Martini spoke as Chair of ISGAN, the International Smart Grid Action Network, a TCP initiative of the IEA and Workstream of CEM. He provided an overview of key activities and highlighted the important ongoing collaboration with ETIP SNET. The workshop underscored the crucial role of energy communities in the energy transition, as potential future active players in the energy landscape. Discussions explored how DSOs can facilitate interaction between energy communities and TSOs, and the market dynamics that can drive the development of these initiatives and accelerate energy sector decarbonization.

On August 27, Michele de Nigris, Director of the SFE – Sustainable Development and Energy Sources Department at RSE, participated in the general discussion session of Study Committee C3 on environmental aspects, with a particular focus on the importance of continuous stakeholder engagement to facilitate the social acceptance of infrastructure. In this context, Italian experiences related to dams and territory, as well as very positive experiences with energy communities, where stakeholders actively participate in system developments, were shared.

On the topic of climate change and its impacts on energy infrastructure, Michele De Nigris shared Italy’s experience in the collaboration between energy authorities and network operators in developing resilience plans for weather and climate events. He presented the RSE-Terna resilience methodology, which assesses threats and their expected evolution based on the vulnerability characteristics of network components, allowing for the evaluation of network resilience and the identification of appropriate risk mitigation measures. Finally, a focus was placed on the environmental sustainability assessment of the energy system, with recent RSE developments in LCA evaluation of innovative photovoltaic technologies, batteries, and electric vehicles, along with RSE’s annual update on the environmental impact of the national kWh, crucial for evaluating the sustainability of all components and systems that use electricity in Italy.

Michele de Nigris also participated as the Italian representative in the coordination meeting of Study Committee C3 “Environmental Aspects of the Energy System.” The meeting provided an opportunity to review the committee’s leadership and plan future activities. Notably, a new working group was created on methodologies for the eco-design of the power system, to which RSE can make a significant contribution given its extensive experience in LCA of various components and systems, from photovoltaic panels to batteries, electric vehicles, and substation components.

On August 27, Giuseppe Mauri, Head of the Research Group “ICT Technologies for T&D Network Management and Cybersecurity” at the TTD Department, presented the poster “Integrating Renewable Energy and Battery Stationary Storage for Electric Ferry Recharge: A Green Port Study on Italian Lake Maggiore,” related to a paper produced by RSE (S. Salamone and G. Mauri) in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport – Governmental Management of Lake Navigation. The study analyzes the benefits of integrating renewable energy sources and battery storage systems for the electric transition of public transport services on Lake Maggiore. Moreover, the energy price sensitivity analysis strengthens the robustness of the results, demonstrating the importance of market dynamics in determining the economic feasibility of renewable energy integration.

Piersilvio Marcolin from the TTD Department presented the poster ‘Electric Vehicle integration on the LV grid for ancillary services provision: an experimental case study leveraging 2nd generation smart meters in Italy’, relating to the paper signed by RSE (P. Marcolin, A. Cazzaniga, S. Salamone and G. Mauri). The study discusses the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe, with a focus on the Italian situation and the challenges posed to the electricity grid, in particular regarding the potential for managing charging via the flexibility market. Specifically, the study addresses the importance of a smart management of charging profiles to mitigate grid issues while creating opportunities for greater flexibility. The use of the CIR-RO model ensures the replicability and scalability of the aggregation of resources which are distributed across the country.

On 27 August, Paolo Mazza delivered his invited speech on ‘Instrument Transformers & Digitalisation: State-of-Art and New Opportunities’, as part of the General Discussion Meeting of Study Committee A3 – Transmission and Distribution Equipment. He presented the current regulatory framework and focused on the development prospects offered by digitalization for electrical power system measures and the technical actions and solutions needed to implement them. His speech was highly appreciated.

On 28 August, Giuseppe Mauri and Piersilvio Marcolin presented their papers at the Group Discussion Meeting of Study Committee C6 – Distribution Networks. On the same day, Sara Salamone from the TTD Department presented the poster “Impact on the power system of the electrification of transport, both light and heavy-duty vehicles”, edited by RSE (S. Salamone, A. Cazzaniga, S. Celaschi, F. Soldan, G. Mauri, F. Colzi) and Terna. The document highlights the crucial role of electromobility, in particular electric vehicles (EVs), in decarbonizing transport, providing flexibility to the energy system and addressing the need for proper planning for optimal integration between vehicles and the grid. It also provides a comprehensive overview of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) and their charging infrastructure, discussing vehicle technology, charging needs, economic aspects, regulations, market dynamics and grid impacts, recommending coordinated actions for their successful adoption.

During the opening panel and other events held as part of CIGRE, cybersecurity was identified as one of the main priorities in the evolution of the energy system. Giovanna Dondossola, Project Manager from the TTD Department, spoke on the central role and challenges of digitalization and innovation in the energy transition.

On 28 August, Dondossola participated in the SC D2 Regular Meeting 2024, where he met the D2 representatives and WG conveners, to whom he delivered a presentation on 2024 Cybersecurity Report by D2.02 Advisory Group. He provided a summary of main outcomes and future directions stemming from the analysis of the 2024 Country Reports. The following day, at the SC D2 Poster Session, he presented the “Cybersecurity in the loop for multienergy infrastructures” paper by RSE (R. Terruggia and M. Todeschini). The poster illustrates the main points of cybersecurity in RSE Test Facilities involved in the Mission Innovation Smart Grid project and raised great interest in numerous operators and producers from many countries such as Brazil, Japan and Italy.

On 29 August, Francesca Soldan presented the poster ‘Digital twin for asset management of electric power systems based on IEC CIM and BIM integration’ by RSE (G. Paludetto and E. Bionda). The paper describes the use of ontologies and knowledge graphs for integrating different information models that are useful for representing electricity grid components from different perspectives. In particular, the combination is presented of the IEC Common Information Model and Industry Foundation Classes (related to the Building Information Modelling methodology) as a way to overcome data management interoperability issues throughout the life cycle of grid assets.

Roberta Terruggia presented the poster ‘Orchestrated ICT architecture for grid monitoring of distribution power grids’ by RSE (R. Terruggia, E. Albanese and L. Zuanazzi). The paper proposes an innovative ICT architecture for embedding PMU monitoring infrastructure in distribution grids. The proposed solution is based on the orchestration of microservices in a decentralized processing continuum between cloud and edge resources. The proposed architecture implements and contributes to the developments of the European FLUIDOS (flexible, scalable, secure, and decentralized operating system) project.
The paper introduces scenarios involving network interruptions and reconfiguration. The tests carried out are preparatory for future work aimed at developing a resilient and scalable ICT architecture.

On August 29, three reports were presented as part of SC A3 – Transmission and Distribution Equipment. As Convener, Paolo Mazza presented the progress of the WG A3.50 “On-site calibration and verification of the accuracy of instrument transformers” activities. On the same day, the latest developments of the IEC TC 38 – “Instrument Transformers” were also illustrated, with a particular focus on the strategic importance acquired by the IEC TC 38 WG 47 “Evolution of Instrument Transformers requirements for the modern market,” coordinated by Mazza as a liaison member. Additionally, activities carried out by the national SC A3 panel, coordinated by Mazza, an Italian member of the Study Committee, were also presented. The involvement of experts, the establishment of the CIGRE Knowledge Management System, and the panel meetings, organized by RSE and CESI, achieved significant success. During the meeting, it was also formally announced that Paolo Mazza would take on a leadership role within SC, with his appointment as co-secretary alongside Frank Rene Richter.

On August 30, Giovanna Dondossola participated in the SC D2 group discussion, responding to the speakers’ question on the main cybersecurity threats to DER and microgrid control infrastructures. Dondossola highlighted the need to increase the Cybersecurity Readiness Level (CRL) of DER control devices in the context of the Cyber Resilience Act. On the same day, Dondossola organized a meeting with members of the D2.02 advisory group on cybersecurity attending the session, to discuss the possibility of launching new working groups.

The workshop “Resilience by design,” organized by Emanuele Ciapessoni, Leading Scientist of the SSE Department, emphasized the urgency of a new approach to power grid design focused on resilience. The increase in extreme events and the growing complexity of the networks demand a profound transformation. By bringing together international experts from CIGRE Committees, academia, and operators, the workshop explored key resilience concepts, from planning phases to operation, also analyzing innovative HVDC architectures and resilience-oriented controls. Real-world case studies, developed in advanced research projects, enriched the discussion. The large participation confirmed the strategic importance of this topic globally.

Ciapessoni also presented, together with Terna, the Paper “Application of a multi-hazard risk-based resilience assessment methodology to real cases in the Italian transmission system.” The topics addressed garnered particular interest from participants, both in terms of methodology and the application of the Terna-RSE methodology for resilience planning to a real grid such as Terna’s. The subject was later revisited during the Group Discussion Meeting of Subcommittee C1, where Emanuele Ciapessoni presented a contribution on future needs for improving grid resilience. Participation in the SC C1 meeting completed Emanuele Ciapessoni’s CIGRE week as an international member. Discussions among experts allowed for an in-depth analysis of the state of the art and helped outline future activity directions on various topics. Among these, resilience is becoming increasingly essential and is expected to be a key element for the future of power system management.

Angelo L’Abbate of the SSE Department – Energy Systems Development, presented and discussed the paper “Regional to Continental Scale System Development: a New Methodological Approach to Studies of an Intercontinental Global Grid” at the poster session of the Study Committee C1 (Power System Development & Economics). The paper, proposed and prepared in coordination with other stakeholders and universities, resulted from intense international collaboration as part of Task 7 “Trading rules and governance issues of a global grid” of CIGRE Working Group C1.44 “Global interconnected and sustainable electricity system: Effects of storage, demand response and trading rules.” It proposes a new methodological approach to intercontinental grid studies (global grid) to facilitate the integration of renewable generation, including advanced HVDC technologies, in a long-term global context. The article garnered attention, attracting various participants to the session, leading to interesting discussions on transmission grid planning and development.

Invited as an expert, L’Abbate also actively participated in the Study Committee C1 meeting, discussing current and upcoming activities related to transmission grid planning. Further activities were proposed in the context of intercontinental and global grid development with HVDC. During the Study Committee C1 meeting, the coordinator of CIGRE Working Group C1.44 on global grids, G. Sanchis (RTE, France), publicly expressed appreciation for the technical and coordination work carried out by L’Abbate within WG C1.44 (Task 7).

L’Abbate also participated in discussions during the Study Committee B4 sessions (DC Systems and Power Electronics), specifically on developments in HVDC technology and networks and FACTS devices, gathering information and updates on current and future HVDC projects. He interacted with industrial actors, both Italian and foreign, present at the sessions: all these actions are fundamental for ongoing activities within the SET Plan WG HVDC/LVDC framework.

During the CIGRE Session, Philippe Adam, CIGRE Secretary General, re-awarded the 2024 CIGRE Distinguished Member plaque to L’Abbate.

For the SFE Department, Paola Faggian participated in the conference, contributing to SC3 “Power System sustainability and environmental performance,” presenting a poster at the “Poster Session C3” and making four interventions at the “Group Discussion Meeting C3.” She also attended the “Forum Women in Energy” event and the “Tutorial C3,” as well as observing the Study Committee.

On the last day, August 30, Francesca Soldan spoke in the SC D2 on Information and Communication Technologies.

Alessandra Balzarini, serving as secretary, attended the second meeting of JWG C4.75/A3/B2/B4 “Guide to Procedures for the Creation of Contamination Maps Required for Outdoor Insulation Coordination,” coordinated by Terna, aiming to provide guidelines for creating surface contamination maps for insulators. Delegations from various European countries, as well as China, India, Pakistan, Canada, the USA, South America, and Africa, participated in the meeting. During the meeting, various countries presented their experiences in this field. Italy showcased the work carried out over the years by RSE in collaboration with Terna.

Federico Bianchi participated in the meetings of the CIGRE Working Group, of which he is a part, WG C1.52, “Virtual Power Plant operation and planning,” which addresses the aggregation of distributed energy resources to provide grid balancing services.

CIGRE continues to be a key event for power system experts, and RSE is proud to have actively participated and contributed to the various sessions again this year.