As electricity grids are integrating increasing amounts of renewable generation, electric vehicles, heat pumps and other distributed energy resources, battery storage is providing an increasingly important service to ensure grid stability.
Multiverse Computing’s solution uses quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms to select the optimal number, type and locations of batteries on the grid network, reducing the costs of adding batteries to the grid and increasing network performance.
i-DE, Iberdrola’s distribution company in Spain, oversaw the pilot project, which was focused on Guipuzkoa’s electricity grid (Basque Country, Spain). During the ten-month pilot, quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms matched or outperformed classical benchmarks to maximise grid reliability and voltage control.
The project was developed as part of Iberdrola’s Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub and part of the Gipuzkoa Quantum Program.
“With the power of quantum computing, private and public institutions can meet sustainability goals while saving on both fixed and variable costs,” said Enrique Lizaso Olmos, CEO of Multiverse Computing.
Estibaliz Goñi, Process and Technology director of i-DE, added, “The results of this pilot project are encouraging, and we will continue exploring the deployment of this technology. There are many challenges to overcome to ensure we have the smart and robust grids required to deliver the energy transition, and innovations like this will help us get there.”
According to a recent report by the IEA, meeting climate goals will require adding or refurbishing 80 million kilometres (~50 million miles) of electricity grids by 2040 – the equivalent of the entire existing global grid. Another report by the same agency showed that the investment ratio between renewables and networks has been imbalanced for the past years. Meanwhile, the investment ratio between renewables and grids was $1: $0.40. To achieve climate goals, that ratio must be adjusted to 1:1, at minimum.
To achieve the pilot’s goal, the 10-month project used a quantum annealer and classical hardware to test the optimisation solution. This algorithm was tested in grids of different sizes, exploring this solution first on small-scale grids and then in larger ones, such as Gipuzkoa’s grid.
To address the need for more resilient and cost-effective electric grids, Multiverse Computing and Iberdrola implemented quantum solutions to achieve improvements in grid batteries across three key areas:
• Initial cost: Optimise the cost of buying and installing multiple batteries in the electrical grid.
• Voltage control: Maximise the capacity of maintaining voltage levels in the nodes of the grid.
• Reliability: Minimise the impact to customers of power outages in the grid.
The project team used Singularity, Multiverse Computing’s platform for quantum and quantum-inspired software, to optimise the network. These quantum-inspired techniques use insights and mathematical models from quantum physics to develop better classical algorithms. The tool enables users without experience in quantum computing to utilise quantum optimisations to boost the speed and accuracy of solutions for complex problems in the energy sector and other industries.
This pilot was developed under the umbrella of Iberdrola’s Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub. Located in Bilbao, the Hub is a centre for innovation and knowledge in smart grids. The Hub serves as a collaborative platform, bringing together Iberdrola’s technological expertise with over 100 partner entities and companies.
The Hub focuses on addressing the challenges of the energy transition, including digitalisation, data management, and adaptability to new consumption models like electric mobility and self-consumption.
