CHINA ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SEAL) SOE

Their core work

CEPRI is the national-level R&D arm of State Grid Corporation of China, the world's largest electric utility. They conduct applied research on power systems: grid planning, high-voltage transmission, smart grid operations, renewable integration, and power equipment testing. In the H2020 context, they served as the Chinese research partner in MSCA exchange programmes — hosting seconded EU researchers and contributing operational expertise from running one of the planet's most complex power grids. They are a reference point for anyone who needs to validate grid technologies at genuinely massive scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early engagement (2017 onward) was broad: two projects on ICT-for-smart-grid (TESTBED) and offshore/DC grid tooling (InnoDC), with no tagged keywords — positioning CEPRI as a general power-system host. The recent phase, anchored by TESTBED2 (2020-2025), sharpens onto three specific technologies: smart grid orchestration, demand response, and virtual power plants. The trajectory moves from generic grid R&D toward flexibility services and distributed resource aggregation.

CEPRI is moving from passive grid-hardware research into active flexibility management — a clear signal they are building capability in aggregated demand-side resources that interest any EU consortium working on grid decarbonisation.

How they like to work

CEPRI always enters as a third-party partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as the non-EU research host in MSCA exchange schemes. Across three projects they connected to 34 unique partners in 14 countries, making them a hub rather than a loyalist. For EU groups they offer a bridge to Chinese grid data and operational environments, but leadership must sit on the European side.

Collaborated with 34 distinct partners across 14 countries — a wide European footprint for just three projects, reflecting MSCA's multi-beneficiary structure. The centre of gravity is European universities and grid operators, with CEPRI as the Chinese anchor.

What sets them apart

CEPRI is not another research institute — it is the technical backbone of State Grid, which operates transmission for over 1.1 billion customers. That gives them access to real-world data, equipment and test conditions no European partner can match. For consortia in smart grids, HVDC, or demand response, CEPRI brings operational validation at a scale that simply does not exist inside the EU.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TESTBED2
  Their most recent and most clearly scoped project (2020-2025), directly targeting smart grid, demand response and virtual power plant — the three technologies most relevant for grid flexibility.
• InnoDC
  An ITN that placed CEPRI inside a European doctoral training network on offshore wind and DC grids, a highly specific and strategic topic for both China and the EU.
• TESTBED
  The first TESTBED phase established the long-running EU–China bridge on ICT-for-grid, which then continued into TESTBED2 — one of the few sustained multi-cycle EU–China grid collaborations.