Amiens set to become European energy storage capital

Energeia cluster concentrates world-class expertise in Amiens

The new Energeia cluster will rely on the city’s unique network of R&D assets in the energy sector. These include: – the Laboratory of Reactivity and Chemistry of Solids (LCRS) at University of Picardy Jules Verne, where researchers are working on sodium ion batteries and other new methods of energy storage – RS2E, a French research network dedicated to electrochemical energy storage that brings together 15 industrial companies, 17 laboratories and three government-funded organizations, all conducting research on batteries and supercapacitors. Officially launched on November 25, 2016, Energeia will create a community of innovators (including laboratories and technology transfer centers), financial backers (among them Bpl, Caisse des Dépôts, and Picardie Investissement) and industrial players such as Enedis, Mersen, Renault and Enercon, a major wind turbine manufacturer.

3 strategic priorities

The Energeia cluster will focus on three strategic priorities: – mobility powered by the battery of the future-electric vehicles, rapid-transit bus service and storage – home energy-self-consumption, materials, structure and energy retrofitting – smart grids-energy management, smart meters, renewable energies and energy recovery/harvesting.

Plans for new Energy Hub symbolize regional commitment

Local communities have also pledged to build a new energy center in Amiens. Dubbed the Energy Hub, this 5,500-sq m building will span three levels and house tools and precision technology dedicated to renewable energies, green growth and electrochemical energy storage. A center of technological excellence for LRCS and a nerve center for research, training and industry, the new site will be among the largest of its kind in Europe.<xml></xml>