The »QuGrids« project (Quantum-based Energy Grids), a collaboration between the Jülich Research Center, the University of Münster, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, and RWTH Aachen, has received funding from the Ministry of Culture and Science as part of the "Profilbildung" (profile building) program.

The planning and operation of energy grids require high computational power. To ensure the security of supply of this critical infrastructure in practice, various disturbances and scenarios need to be continuously calculated. With the increasing complexity of generation and consumption structures, the simulated investigations push the limits of existing computing capacity.

The goal of the QuGrids project is to explore the use of quantum technologies for planning and operation of energy grids. All involved institutions have well established and internationally renowned activities in energy and quantum technologies. The project aims to enable generation of added value at the intersection of these two disciplines. In this way, North Rhine-Westphalia can establish itself as a leading hub in this field, connecting universities, research institutions, and private companies.

QuGrids is based on three pillars.

Firstly, the potential and existing weaknesses of quantum technologies in relation to energy grids will be assessed. In addition to developing example use cases, a research and development roadmap will be established.

Since the scope of QuGrids can only cover the initial activities in this area, aligning the investigations with existing activities at the institutions will help to maximize the project's impact.

Lastly, a qualified, strong, and competitive workforce is a fundamental requirement for the sustainable establishment of such an interdisciplinary field. Therefore, there is a focus on creating teaching and training materials for personnel development. This is intended to support the education of a new generation of scientists who will continue to tackle future research and development tasks.

You can find the link to the press release from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia here.