Digital Twin for Europe

Project Information

TwinEU

Grant agreement ID: 101136119

DOI

10.3030/101136119

EC signature date 17 November 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 25 216 061,25

EU contribution

€ 19 999 999,50

Coordinated by

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TwinEU (Digital Twin for Europe)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Europe has prepared an ambitious pathway for the decarbonization of the pan-European energy system, setting a binding target for 2030 of a minimum of 42.5% renewables in gross final energy consumption. At the heart of this transition lies the electrical grid, which is taking on an even greater role as sectors like transport and heating/cooling become increasingly electrified. More than ever, Europe requires an electrical network that is resilient, cybersecure, adaptable, and dependable. Meeting this demand depends on virtualizing energy infrastructure through digital twin technology.
TwinEU is developing a federated ecosystem of interoperable and adaptive Digital Twins of the European electricity system, supporting operation, control, planning and maintenance from high voltage transmission grids down to low voltage distribution networks. This will be achieved by combining real-time data from the field, physics-based models and Artificial Intelligence models.
The ecosystem will be composed of local, regional and cross-border Digital Twins, interconnected through standardised interfaces and data spaces. This will enable the seamless exchange of data and models between different actors and Digital Twins, realising the vision of a pan-European electricity system Digital Twin.
The main objectives are:
• Define the architecture, interoperability and integration mechanisms for a federated ecosystem of Digital Twins of the European electricity system.
• Develop the components, services and tools for the creation, deployment and operation of the Digital Twins.
• Implement the developed solutions in large-scale demonstrators across Europe, covering different use cases and scenarios.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

TwinEU advances the digitalisation of the European energy system by identifying key challenges and opportunities in system planning, operation, and market coordination. It consolidates insights from previous initiatives to enhance data interoperability and proposes solutions for bridging gaps in communication protocols and system integration. Stakeholder engagement helps define requirements for a digital twin ecosystem, while technological constraints of AI, HPC, and existing digital twins are analysed to shape future development. A vision for use cases is formalised, along with validation criteria and KPIs.
A reference architecture is designed to support federated digital twin infrastructure, aligned with EU standards and initiatives. Functional and technical specifications are developed, addressing interoperability, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity. The architecture supports edge-level integration and aligns with smart grid frameworks.
The platform is implemented with a federated interface, immersive XR capabilities, and a big data/AI marketplace. Data sharing strategies and governance models are established, ensuring secure, scalable, and trustworthy data exchange. The system enables real-time monitoring, simulation, and coordination across local and pan-European digital twins.
The developed solutions are being implemented and validated in eight large-scale demonstrators:
1. Iberian Peninsula – Transmission, distribution and market Digital Twins for security, resilience and cross-system coordination.
2. Eastern Mediterranean – Digital Twin for the Cyprus–Crete interconnection and optimised cross-island balancing market.
3. Hungary – Conductor temperature monitoring using Artificial Neural Networks and optimisation of day-ahead and intraday market coupling.
4. Bulgaria – Congestion management, distributed energy resources forecasting and flexibility resource planning.
5. Germany – Integrated TSO/DSO flexibility management using commercial and open-source tools.
6. Italy – Simulation of defence systems and immersive CAD-based planning for the Sardinia grid.
7. Slovenia – Fast-frequency response and enhanced dynamic security assessment.
8. France/Netherlands – Cybersecurity and resilience with a Control Room of the Future and integrated cyber-range.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

TwinEU is creating a federated ecosystem of interoperable Digital Twins for the European electricity system, covering transmission, distribution and market operation. It enables interoperability for both data and models, allowing the sharing and reuse of Artificial Intelligence and physics-based models across different Digital Twins.
It implements closed-loop, adaptive Digital Twins with real-time data exchange and self-learning capabilities, and integrates High Performance Computing resources for large-scale, complex simulations and real-time decision support. It uses standardised data spaces to ensure data sovereignty, security and trust, while enabling the exchange of data and models across different organisations and countries.
It also provides immersive and metaverse-ready environments for collaborative planning, training and operation. These results will enable the creation of a pan-European Digital Twin of the electricity system, supporting the energy transition and the integration of large shares of renewable energy, while ensuring the security, resilience and efficiency of the system. The various DT based technologies will enable energy stakeholders to address several challenges and targets identified through policy guidelines and European priorities. The federated TwinEU architecture will be validated in a set of cross-pilot scenarios that will leverage DT technologies in different European context.

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