HEP-OPERATOR DISTRIBUCIJSKOG SUSTAVA DOO ZA DISTRIBUCIJU I OPSKRBU ELEKTRICNE ENERGIJED.O.O.

Their core work

HEP-ODS d.o.o. is Croatia's primary electricity distribution system operator, responsible for the physical infrastructure that delivers power to end consumers across the country. In H2020 research projects, they contribute as a real-world grid operator — offering live distribution network assets, operational data, and field validation capacity that most research partners cannot provide. Their work spans the full operational lifecycle: from real-time grid automation, fault detection, and protection systems to longer-term planning, predictive maintenance, and coordination protocols between distribution and transmission operators. They are, in essence, the industrial testbed that transforms research into grid-ready solutions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their H2020 participation began with reactive and operational grid challenges — automation, control, protection, islanding, and fault detection — the day-to-day problems of running a live distribution network. By their second project, the focus shifted upstream toward planning, predictive management, maintenance strategy, and inter-operator coordination, suggesting a deliberate move from fixing present grid problems to anticipating future ones. This trajectory mirrors the broader European DSO transition: from operating a passive grid to managing an active, multi-directional energy system integrating renewables and flexible demand.

HEP-ODS is moving toward proactive grid intelligence — long-term planning tools, predictive asset management, and cross-operator coordination — making them a strong fit for consortia tackling decarbonisation through smarter grid orchestration rather than just reactive control.

How they like to work

HEP-ODS participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — a pattern typical of large utilities that join research projects to provide infrastructure access and operational validation rather than to lead research agendas. Both projects involved large multi-country consortia (28 unique partners across 9 countries for just two projects), indicating they operate comfortably in complex collaborative environments. Their role is likely that of an industrial pilot site or end-user validator, giving research outputs a credible real-world testing ground in the Croatian distribution network.

Despite only two projects, HEP-ODS has built a notably wide network of 28 unique partners spanning 9 countries — averaging 14 partners per project — which reflects their participation in flagship, large-scale RIA and IA consortia rather than small pilot efforts. Their geographic reach is European, with partners likely drawn from Western and Northern EU research hubs pairing with Eastern European grid operators.

What sets them apart

HEP-ODS brings something most research partners cannot: a real, operating national distribution grid available for live demonstration and validation of new grid technologies. As Croatia's dominant DSO, their participation signals regulatory and operational legitimacy — solutions tested on HEP-ODS infrastructure carry real-world credibility for EU-wide rollout. For any consortium needing a South-East European grid operator to satisfy geographic diversity requirements or demonstrate scalability beyond Western Europe, HEP-ODS is a rare and practical choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FLEXIGRID
  Their largest project by funding (EUR 274,750) and the most operationally rich, covering the full stack of distribution grid challenges from automation and protection to fault detection and flexibility services.
• ATTEST
  Addresses decarbonisation-driven grid planning and TSO-DSO coordination — the strategic layer of grid management — showing HEP-ODS expanding from operational firefighting into long-term energy system design.