Energy Pool Joins HiHelios: Shaping the Future of Hybrid Energy Storage in Europe

Energy Pool is proud to be a partner in HiHelios, a Horizon Europe research and innovation project co-funded by the European Union. HiHelios brings together 12 partners from 6 countries with a common goal: to develop a modular, scalable, and cyber-secure Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) for a wide range of grid services across Europe.

With a total project budget of nearly €6.5 million, HiHelios aims to push hybrid energy storage beyond current limitations, combining high-power storage with high-energy, second-life NMC batteries. The ultimate ambition is to deliver long-duration energy storage (over 12 hours) at costs below €0.05/kWh per cycle by 2030, with more than 5,000 cycles of expected lifespan.

Four Real-World Use Cases Across Europe

The project will be demonstrated through four real-world pilots across three countries:

- Norway: Supporting grid reliability and EV fast charging while maximising the integration of renewable energy.

- Belgium: Retrofitting a Research Center building for grid optimisation, energy cost reduction, and EV charging support.

- Greece (Livadia settlement/Tilos): Facilitating E-boat fast charging while increasing renewable energy usage.

- Greece (Municipal aggregator/Tilos): Enhancing grid services and decarbonisation by supporting a weak islanded grid.

These demonstrators will remain operational beyond the project duration, contributing to long-term impact and knowledge transfer.

Energy Pool’s Role and Contribution

As a recognized expert in energy management systems and smart grid solutions, Energy Pool is playing a strategic role in HiHelios. Our team will focus on the economic viability and business potential of hybrid energy storage across various European markets.

Our key contributions include:

- Developing a generic economic evaluation model for HESS plants that can be adapted to multiple countries and use-cases.

- Assessing revenue streams and multi-service value creation opportunities for HESS, including grid services, EV charging, and energy arbitrage.

- Supporting scalability and industrial deployment of the Energy Management System (EMS) developed within the project.

- Delivering financial and business models that ensure sustainable, replicable deployment of HESS solutions.

This work aligns closely with our mission to deliver innovative, sustainable energy solutions that support the energy transition.

Strategic Value for Energy Pool

Participation in HiHelios brings multiple benefits to Energy Pool:

- Strengthening our knowledge of advanced, long-duration energy storage technologies.

- Testing new markets including Norway, Belgium, and Greece.

- Enhancing our credibility with the prestigious Horizon Europe label.

- Building strategic relationships with leading European innovation partners such as research centers (CEA, VITO and others), and working closely with potential future clients such as actors of EV charging station and Representative from Islands Network.

Looking Ahead

HiHelios represents a significant step toward flexible, sustainable, and cost-effective energy storage solutions in Europe. At Energy Pool, we are excited to contribute to this ambitious initiative and to play a part in designing the smart, resilient grids of tomorrow.

For more information about the HiHelios project, visit the official project website