KEMA BV

Their core work

KEMA BV (KEMA Laboratories) is a Dutch testing, inspection, and certification company specializing in electrical power systems and grid technologies. Based in Arnhem — the historical hub of Dutch electrical engineering — they provide independent laboratory testing, validation, and technical assessment for high-voltage equipment, grid components, and smart energy systems. In H2020 projects, they contribute testing infrastructure and validation expertise for HVDC transmission systems, smart grids, and renewable energy integration technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015-2017), KEMA focused squarely on high-voltage transmission: HVDC offshore grids, circuit breakers, protection systems, and North Sea wind power interconnection — core electrical testing territory. From 2019 onward, their scope broadened significantly toward integrated energy systems: island energy communities, energy storage, smart control with big data, electric mobility, and renewable energy validation. This shift mirrors the wider European energy transition from building large transmission infrastructure toward decentralized, multi-vector energy systems.

KEMA is moving from pure high-voltage transmission testing toward validation of complex, decentralized energy systems combining renewables, storage, and smart controls — positioning them for the next wave of grid modernization projects.

How they like to work

KEMA operates exclusively as a participant or third-party contributor, never as a coordinator — consistent with their role as an independent testing and validation provider rather than a research leader. They work in large consortia (96 unique partners across 18 countries), which reflects their infrastructure-provider position: many different project teams need access to their testing facilities. Their repeat involvement in ERIGrid and ERIGrid 2.0 shows they build long-term relationships within research infrastructure networks.

KEMA has collaborated with 96 unique partners across 18 countries, reflecting their role as a shared testing facility that many European energy research consortia rely on. Their network is heavily concentrated in the energy and grid technology domain across Western and Northern Europe.

What sets them apart

KEMA's value lies in their independent testing and validation laboratories — a critical bottleneck in energy technology development that few organizations in Europe can provide at this scale. While many partners in energy projects contribute research or simulation, KEMA provides the physical infrastructure to validate that technologies actually work under real-world conditions. For consortium builders, they are the partner that turns research prototypes into tested, certifiable components.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PROMOTION
  Their largest H2020 engagement (EUR 1.03M plus third-party involvement), addressing the critical challenge of building meshed HVDC grids for North Sea offshore wind — one of Europe's flagship energy infrastructure priorities.
• ERIGrid 2.0
  A continuation project (EUR 399K) for pan-European smart grid research infrastructure, demonstrating KEMA's sustained role as a key validation facility in the European energy research ecosystem.
• INSULAE
  Marks KEMA's expansion beyond traditional grid testing into integrated island energy systems covering storage, electric mobility, bioeconomy, and desalination — a significant broadening of scope.