In 2024, ELES celebrates 100 years of electricity transmission in Slovenia, a milestone highlighting the country’s rich energy history and its advancements in electricity infrastructure. This centenary reflects ELES’s evolution from a traditional transmission system operator to its current role as a combined transmission and distribution operator. In October 2023, ELES merged with SODO, Slovenia’s distribution system operator, and expanded its responsibilities to overseeing medium- and low-voltage distribution grids. ELES now ensures the reliable transmission and distribution of electricity across the country, balancing supply and demand while facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources and other new loads into the grid.
ELES is also deeply engaged in international R&D and smart-grid projects, which aim to modernize and reinforce electricity systems across borders. The SINCRO.GRID project, a collaboration with Croatia, is an example of ELES’s innovative approach to integrating renewable energy and improving grid flexibility. This project, which deploys cutting-edge technologies such as compensation devices for reactive power control, battery energy storage systems, dynamic thermal rating system and virtual cross-border control centre, has earned ELES recognition across Europe as this was the first finished EU co-financed PCI smart grid project. The NEDO project, in partnership with Japan, was focused on using advanced secondary equipment, ICT and cloud solutions to better exploit the existing grid. FutureFlow was another R&D project involving multiple European partners, aiming to develop innovative methods for balancing electricity systems across borders, particularly by enabling consumers to contribute to balancing services. The latest smart grid PCI project, GreenSwitch, connects seven partners from Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia. It addresses the challenges of integrating decentralized energy resources into the grid, focusing on increasing controllability and strengthening the power networks. Through these initiatives, ELES plays a crucial role in driving Europe’s energy transition, ensuring grid resilience, and fostering international cooperation for a sustainable energy future. Over the years, ELES has received numerous awards for these innovative international projects.
Based on knowing the needs and challenges of the electric power network, ELES prepared three concepts for effective cross-sector integration with the transport and heating sectors. The E8 concept promotes smart EV charging at private locations that will enable EVs to be powered with affordable energy from renewable sources. On the other hand, the Pentlja concept envisages optimally located fast-charging parks at the intersection of the power and transport infrastructure. KODO, the long-term community district heating concept, promotes reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective heating by allowing communities to switch between energy sources, enabling them to optimise costs and enhance resilience. These concepts demonstrate ELES’s commitment to improving grid resilience and supporting the green energy transition.
