GRID SOLUTIONS SAS

Their core work

Grid Solutions SAS is the grid infrastructure division formerly under Alstom (now part of GE Vernova), specializing in electrical grid equipment, power electronics, and grid integration systems. In H2020, they contributed expertise on integrating renewable energy sources into electricity networks, smart grid automation, and grid-side components for large offshore wind turbines. Their work focuses on the critical interface between energy generation and the transmission/distribution grid — making sure new renewable capacity can actually be delivered to end users reliably.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Grid Solutions entered H2020 in 2017 with projects focused on smart grid demonstration and energy flexibility markets (InteGrid, InterFlex). Their involvement then extended into large-scale offshore wind with ReaLCoE (starting 2018), reflecting the broader European push toward massive offshore wind deployment. The shift from grid automation toward offshore wind grid parity suggests growing engagement with the hardware challenges of connecting very large renewable installations to the grid.

Moving toward grid infrastructure for next-generation large-scale offshore wind, aligning with Europe's accelerating offshore deployment targets.

How they like to work

Grid Solutions operates predominantly as a third-party contributor (2 of 3 projects), providing specialized industrial equipment and expertise without taking on project management responsibilities. They participate in large consortia — 77 unique partners across 14 countries — which is typical for a major industrial supplier that provides components or subsystems to demonstration projects led by others. This makes them a reliable but hands-off partner: they deliver their piece without driving the research agenda.

Despite only 3 projects, they have connected with 77 unique partners across 14 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes of Innovation Actions in the energy sector. Their network spans broadly across Europe with no single geographic concentration beyond their French base.

What sets them apart

Grid Solutions brings genuine industrial-scale grid infrastructure capability — they manufacture and deploy the transformers, switchgear, and power electronics that physically connect renewable energy to the grid. Unlike research institutes modeling grid behavior, they build and install the actual hardware. For consortium builders, they offer a direct path from demonstration to commercial deployment because their products are already in service across European transmission networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReaLCoE
  Targets next-generation 12+MW offshore wind turbines with a long timeline (2018-2026), addressing the critical challenge of reducing levelised cost of electricity for offshore wind.
• InterFlex
  Their only direct participant role, with EUR 634K in EC funding, focused on energy market flexibility — a commercially important area as grids absorb more variable renewables.