German electrical power research association specialising in HVDC grid technology, protection systems, and multi-energy network planning tools.
FGH is a German research association specialising in electrical power systems, grid technology, and energy infrastructure — operating as a technical institute bridging academic research and the practical needs of network operators and utilities. Their work covers the full chain from high-voltage transmission grid design to operational planning tools for integrated multi-energy systems. In H2020, they contributed technical expertise in meshed HVDC grid architecture and in the modelling of cross-carrier energy flows — electricity, gas, and heat — including the tools needed to plan and operate such coupled networks. They are a specialist contributor, not a project leader, which reflects their role as a deep-technical resource embedded in larger engineering consortia.
In PROMOTION (2016–2020), FGH contributed to research on protection systems, circuit breakers, diode rectifier converters, and grid regulation for meshed HVDC networks connecting North Sea offshore wind.
In PLANET (2017–2021), FGH worked on planning and operational tools for coupled electricity, district heating, and natural gas networks, including power-to-gas and power-to-heat integration.
PLANET explicitly listed virtual energy storage and grid operation ICT tools among FGH's contribution area, pointing to expertise in flexibility management across energy carriers.
PROMOTION keywords include circuit breakers and protection systems for meshed HVDC grids — a highly specialised niche that aligns with FGH's long-standing mandate on electrical installations and grid safety.
FGH's first H2020 project (PROMOTION, starting 2016) placed them squarely in high-voltage DC transmission: offshore wind integration, North Sea grid topology, HVDC circuit breakers, and protection schemes for meshed grids. Their second project (PLANET, starting 2017) shifted attention to the distribution and multi-carrier level — how electricity, gas, and heat networks can be planned and operated jointly, with power-to-gas and power-to-heat as connective technologies. This is a coherent move from transmission-layer infrastructure toward the integrated, sector-coupled energy system that Europe's energy transition requires.
FGH is moving toward the intersection of grid operation software and sector coupling — a direction that positions them well for future projects on smart grid ICT, energy system integration, and the digital tools needed to run hybrid electricity-gas-heat networks.
FGH has participated in both of its H2020 projects as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with the profile of a specialised technical institute that provides deep engineering input to consortia led by larger utilities, TSOs, or universities. Their 63 unique consortium partners across 14 countries over just 2 projects indicates they joined large, well-populated research programmes rather than small focused teams. This makes them a reliable specialist to recruit for technically demanding work packages, though they are unlikely to drive project management or administrative coordination.
Despite only two projects, FGH has been exposed to 63 distinct partner organisations spanning 14 countries — reflecting the large-consortium nature of both PROMOTION and PLANET, which were flagship EU energy infrastructure programmes. Their network skews toward European transmission and energy system actors.
FGH occupies a specific niche in German electrical engineering research that few institutes match: the combination of high-voltage grid technology (testing, protection, HVDC) and systemic energy network analysis. As a member-based research association rather than a university or commercial lab, they have direct ties to German utilities, network operators, and electrical equipment manufacturers, which gives their research grounding in real infrastructure constraints. For consortium builders, they offer a credible German technical partner with both transmission and multi-energy system credentials.
