Flexible and resilient power grids: CESI’s contribution to the energy transition

The webinar “Power infrastructure, storage systems and flexibility: solutions and technologies for the energy transition and security”, organized by CESI in collaboration with Elettricità Futura, brought together key players from the Italian and international electricity sector Areti, A2A, Eni Plenitude, E-Distribuzione e Edison, along with representatives from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE).
The discussion focused on the transformation of the electricity system into one that is more modern, flexible and capable of supporting the goals of the energy transition.
In his opening remarks, Nicola Melchiotti, CEO of CESI, emphasized the importance of being able to innovate in order to make energy systems more resilient and adaptive, particularly in the face of extreme environmental and electrical stress.
“Today, innovation emerges in a more distributed way, often driven by major projects and complex technological challenges that demand new solutions to real-world problems,” he noted, highlighting CESI’s extensive global experience in both consulting and testing.

Building on this, Bruno Cova, Power System Excellence Manager at CESI Consulting, presented a pragmatic view of how the grid is evolving to meet growing demands for flexibility and security.
He explained that the green energy transition requires not only producing more renewable energy, but also moving it efficiently to where it is most needed.
This involves the development of long-distance energy corridors connecting generation sites with consumption hubs – projects in which CESI plays a key role worldwide. At the same time, Cova stressed the importance of enhancing power transfer capacity over medium and short distances, to address increasing grid congestion due to variable generation and demand.
“Sometimes the solution is to build new grids. Other times, it’s about doing more with what we already have,” he said. “At CESI, we’re working on both fronts – from advanced hardware for long-distance transmission to smarter ways of boosting existing infrastructure.”Thanks to its broad technological expertise and global project experience, CESI continues to support grid operators and institutions in creating a stronger, smarter, and more secure energy future.