IÖB and motorway operators issue challenge for energy storage to smooth e‑charging peaks
- ›IÖB has launched an Energy Storage Challenge seeking technical and organisational solutions to avoid electricity load peaks at e‑vehicle charging infrastructure.
- ›ASFINAG and Autobahn GmbH are listed as partnering public contracting authorities looking for solutions for internal and external charging sites.
- ›The challenge targets companies or consortia able to propose electricity storage systems and implementation concepts with a submission deadline of 21 June 2023.
- ›Participation gives applicants visibility to the contracting authority and winners may be invited to an innovation dialogue and a market meeting.
- ›The announcement is shared via the EIC Challenge Platform and does not constitute a procurement commitment or an official position of the European Commission.
Public procurement challenge seeks storage solutions to reduce charging load peaks
The IÖB Innovationsplattform has opened an Energy Storage Challenge aimed at tackling a growing operational issue associated with electric vehicle charging. As more electric vehicles adopt roads across Europe, concentrated charging demand at public charging sites can create sharp local electricity peaks. IÖB is asking companies and consortia to propose both technical systems and organisational concepts that would prevent such load spikes at internal and external charging infrastructure. The call is presented on the EIC Challenge Platform and lists ASFINAG and Autobahn GmbH among the partnering public authorities.
What the challenge is looking for
The challenge explicitly targets solutions that combine hardware, software and organisational measures to avoid high instantaneous electricity demand from charging infrastructure. This includes proposals for electricity storage installations as well as the processes and contractual arrangements needed to implement those solutions at sites managed by public motorway organisations and similar operators. IÖB frames the opportunity as a way for innovators to get on the radar of the public contracting authority and to progress to an innovation dialogue and a market meeting if selected.
| Item | Details | Notes |
| Organiser | IÖB Innovationsplattform (Austrian public procurement innovation platform) | Platform connects public buyers with innovators |
| Partnering contracting authorities | ASFINAG and Autobahn GmbH | Organisations responsible for motorway and charging infrastructure operations |
| Objective | Avoid electricity load peaks from e‑charging infrastructures | Technical and organisational implementation of electricity storage solutions |
| Target applicants | Companies or consortia | Open to vendors proposing integrated solutions |
| Benefits for participants | Visibility to contracting authority and potential innovation dialogue | Winners may present at a market meeting |
| Deadline for submissions | 21 June 2023 | Short window from publication on 31 May 2023 |
| Where to apply or learn more | EIC Challenge Platform and IÖB website or EIC contact form | Select category 'EIC Challenge Platform' for enquiries |
Technical approaches that match the brief
Organisational and procurement factors participants must address
Beyond hardware and control software, the challenge seeks proposals for the organisational implementation of storage on public infrastructure. That includes financing models, contracting arrangements, operation and maintenance responsibilities, interfaces with grid operators and energy suppliers, permitting, health and safety compliance and lifecycle management. For public buyers, procurement models such as innovation partnerships or pre commercial procurement can be used to structure experimental deployments, but they must comply with national and EU public procurement law.
Practical steps, timeline and contact
The call was published on 31 May 2023 and set a submission deadline on 21 June 2023. Interested companies and consortia were invited to submit proposals via the channels specified on the EIC Challenge Platform and IÖB pages. Participation is framed as a way to gain visibility with the contracting authority and to be considered for an innovation dialogue and a market meeting if selected.
For more information the announcement directs readers to the EIC Challenge Platform web page or to contact the EIC Community via its contact form while selecting the category 'EIC Challenge Platform'.
Implications and caveats
The challenge reflects a real operational pain point for motorway and public charging operators. Local storage and smart management can defer costly grid reinforcement and improve reliability. However innovators and public buyers face several practical barriers. These include the need for clear return on investment models, complexities around grid connection and market rules, safety and permitting for on site storage, and long term maintenance and decommissioning strategies.
From a procurement perspective, being 'on the radar' of a contracting authority is useful but not a substitute for winning a contract. Challenge listings and market meetings can expose companies to buyers and smooth later procurement, yet they do not guarantee purchase. Innovators should therefore treat the opportunity as an engagement and discovery step and not as a direct sales outcome.
Finally the public announcement window was short. The period between publication on 31 May 2023 and the deadline on 21 June 2023 allowed little time for complex consortia to form. That is a practical limitation for projects that require technical partners, grid studies and commercial modelling.
Disclaimer and administrative notes
The EIC posting includes a disclaimer that the information is provided for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or other organisations. The announcement lists topics and tags such as energy, public procurement and transport. For inquiries use the EIC contact channel and select the 'EIC Challenge Platform' category.