As renewable energy continues to grow its share in the global energy mix, particularly across Europe, challenges like efficiency, intermittency and cost remain significant barriers. The SiC4GRID project aims to directly address these challenges by focusing on the continuous evolution of power electronics (PE), a critical component for optimizing renewable energy systems. SiC4GRID is a 48-month project uniting leading partners across the complete value chain of silicon carbide (SiC)-based converters, focusing on creating a cutting-edge, integrated SiC-based technology with innovations spanning hardware, software, and IoT.

The use of Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors like SiC in converter stations presents transformative opportunities for renewable energy systems, offering enhanced efficiency, reliability, and dynamic performance. Recognized as a promising technology for both onshore and offshore energy applications, SiC semiconductors have the potential to deliver substantial energy and cost savings across sectors such as smart grids, e-mobility, and smart buildings. However, the high cost of SiC technology has hindered its widespread adoption, a gap that SiC4GRID is aiming to bridge.

Project’s main objectives:

• Compact High-Efficiency SiC Module: Design, production, testing, and validation of a 30% smaller, highly energy efficient SiC power module.

• Development of Innovative Energy Management System (EMS): Application of a self-healing EMS, that leverages advanced IoT architecture, digital twins, and optimization algorithms to deliver improved performance.

• Environmental benefits: The project emphasizes eco-design and circularity, ensuring resource optimization and carbon footprint reduction throughout the manufacturing process. Testing includes both physical test benches and digital simulations to validate the technology under real-world scenarios.

• Validation through use cases: The use cases —MMC and SST converters, onshore/offshore wind, and photovoltaic (PV) applications— expand the technology’s validated applications, including potential integration with storage systems.

SiC4GRID’s impacts are focused in the areas of cost reduction compared to silicon-based converters, size reduction, increase of the lifetime durability, minimization of resource consumption, and achievement of substantially lower CO₂ emissions. By advancing SiC converter technology, SiC4GRID delivers important steps towards enhancing the integration of renewable energy into the grid.

ITML’s role in the project

ITML plays a pivotal role in the SiC4GRID project by leading the integration of Industrial IoT (IIoT) technologies and ensuring the seamless interconnection of subsystems through its Data Fusion Bus (DFB) tool. As the IoT leader, ITML focuses on enabling trustworthy real-time data transfer, interoperable data management, and efficient communication among devices in this challenging IIoT environment.

Additionally, ITML supports with sustainability planning, developing a roadmap toward higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and fostering replicability and commercial adoption of project outcomes. Through these efforts, ITML substantially strengthens the project’s capacity to advance renewable energy technologies through IIoT-driven innovation.

For more information, visit the official project website: https://sic4grid.eu/

Acknowledgment

The project SIC4GRID has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under the Grant Agreement No. 101075496.