CEZ DISTRIBUCE AS

Their core work

CEZ Distribuce is the major electricity distribution system operator (DSO) in the Czech Republic, part of the CEZ Group. Their core business is operating and maintaining the electricity distribution grid that delivers power to millions of end customers. In H2020, they contribute real-world grid infrastructure and operational data for large-scale demonstrations of TSO-DSO coordination, demand response, and market-based flexibility services. They represent the practical DSO perspective — how new energy market designs and grid services actually work at distribution level.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CEZ Distribuce entered H2020 through integrated energy system studies (IntEnSys4EU, 2016) and flexibility market pilots (InterFlex, 2017), exploring how DSOs interact with new energy market players. By 2019-2020, their focus sharpened significantly toward TSO-DSO coordination, market design for grid services, and building a unified European energy network (CoordiNet, OneNet). The trajectory shows a clear shift from exploring flexibility concepts to actively shaping how distribution operators will participate in future pan-European energy markets.

CEZ Distribuce is moving toward defining the operational rules and market platforms through which European DSOs will trade grid services — making them a key voice in future energy market architecture.

How they like to work

CEZ Distribuce never coordinates projects but participates in very large consortia (154 unique partners across 26 countries), often as a third party providing real grid infrastructure for demonstrations. Their role is that of an infrastructure provider and demonstration site rather than a research driver. This makes them an ideal partner when you need a real-world DSO testbed in Central Europe — they bring operational assets, not research proposals.

Connected to 154 unique partners across 26 countries through large flagship energy projects, giving them a broad European network of TSOs, DSOs, energy researchers, and market platform developers. Their network is strongest among grid operators and energy market actors across the EU.

What sets them apart

As one of the largest DSOs in Central and Eastern Europe, CEZ Distribuce offers something most research partners cannot: access to a real, large-scale distribution grid for testing new market designs and coordination schemes. Their involvement in both CoordiNet and OneNet — two of the flagship TSO-DSO coordination projects in Europe — positions them as a credible demonstration partner with direct operational experience. For any consortium needing a CEE grid testbed, they are a natural choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CoordiNet
  Major EU demonstration project for TSO-DSO coordination with large-scale campaigns across multiple countries — CEZ Distribuce provided Czech grid infrastructure as a third-party demo site.
• OneNet
  Flagship project building a unified European energy network framework, with EUR 279K funding to CEZ Distribuce — their largest funded role, signaling growing engagement.
• InterFlex
  Their highest-funded project (EUR 725K) focused on automated energy systems and flexibility markets, establishing CEZ Distribuce as a key DSO pilot site.