The most innovative startups and scaleups in clean energy can now apply to Energy Starter, an open innovation program created by EDP to accelerate the development and implementation of solutions towards the energy transition. After a first module dedicated to solutions for the electricity grids of the future, this second phase is now looking for startups with disruptive ideas that can be applied to renewable energies and green hydrogen.

Applications for this second module of the 8th edition of Energy Starter, which launches this week via the programme website, can be submitted until  28 January 2024 by startups from all over the world. After the evaluation process, the best projects will participate in a bootcamp and open day in Singapore in April 2024, where they can present their solutions to several EDP specialists from different business units and geographies to accelerate the co-development of pilot projects and deals.

The aim is to help achieve the expansion targets for renewables and accelerate their deployment, especially in sectors of activity where decarbonisation is more complicated. This area is where EDP, with more than 25GW installed and the ambition to double this capacity by 2030, is a global leader. Green hydrogen, a fast-growing technology, is also an area of focus. EDP maintains its strategic goal of investing in projects that will guarantee a further 1.5 GW capacity by 2030. After the selection phase (including an online pitch), the startups will work with a broad group of EDP experts to accelerate the development of pilot projects and the implementation of their solutions in the energy sector while also accessing potential financial support through EDP Ventures.

Divided into three tracks, Energy Starter seeks to address three key areas for the energy transition. In the current edition, the first track was dedicated to the electricity networks of the future and ended with a bootcamp in Santander, Spain, in December this year - the aim is to leverage the infrastructure of energy distribution networks with innovative solutions.

Six challenges to address

Now comes the programme’s second phase on renewable energies and green hydrogen, which focuses on six areas:

• Deployment: Accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources with solutions that optimise construction, ease grid interconnection, streamline pipeline development, and unlock supply chain constraints.
• Curtailment and Offtake: Generate value from curtailment and increase outreach for RES offtake with innovative strategies.
• Emerging technologies: Foster the uptake of cutting-edge technologies to speed up the development of clean energy generation and enhance the operational efficiency of existing assets.
• Operation: Maximize asset value and streamline operations by leveraging automated solutions, predictive maintenance, climate-resilient technologies, and circularity.
• Storage & Flexibility: Innovative solutions, such as long-duration energy storage (LDES), alternative technologies for Li-ion, battery diagnostics and analytics, and market participation tools.
• Green Hydrogen: Priorities include solutions to optimise synergies between renewable energy sources and hydrogen production, identifying potential new use cases and reducing the cost for green H2.

The 2023-2024 edition ends with a track dedicated to mobility and customer solutions. It aims to develop solutions and promote their adoption in the transition to electric mobility and distributed energy generation, which are also strategic for EDP.

Over the last seven editions of Energy Starter, EDP has selected 192 startups from 27 countries, jointly developing 75 pilot projects, 28 commercial rollouts and 15 venture capital investments that have already begun to reshape the energy landscape – projects that represented a total of €24 million in deals.

ENERGY STARTER 2023-2024 – 2nd track

• How to apply: on the website Energy Starter
• Until 28 January 2024
• Areas: Renewables and Green Hydrogen
• To know more: www.theenergystarter.com
• Bootcamp and Open Day: Singapore (April 2024)