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News article16 March 2022Joint Research Centre

Could blockchain revolutionise the energy market?

Our newly-published report on Blockchain solutions for the energy transition confirms that blockchain has high potential for use as the ‘distributed driving brain’ of an energy community, a concept that would radically change the energy sector.

Blockchain
© EC 2022

The report summarises the main outcomes of two years of unique experimental studies carried out by Joint Research Centre scientists on blockchain solutions for energy systems.

Five different experimental use-cases were tested and analysed:

  • Smart metering, billing and security
  • Fostering of energy communities
  • Certification of origin of energy production
  • Support the implementation of flexibility services
  • Electro mobility scenarios

These use-cases were studied as they were considered the most technically meaningful for testing the potential of blockchain.

Some of them represent the vast majority of cases in the landscape analysis (Energy communities, with 40 projects analysed), or relate to appropriate regulatory framework for compliance (Flexibility services), or to providing scientific evidence to further inform policymaking (Certification of origin, Smart metering, Electro mobility).

Recommendations presented by cluster

Drawing upon the desktop and experimental research conducted, the report offers recommendations to address emerging trends and issues. These are presented in five clusters as seen below:

Clusters of recommendations
© EC 2022

The findings from this study will contribute to the EU action plan for the ‘Digitalisation of Energy’.

Twin digital and green transitions

Europe’s future will be strongly influenced by the successful achievement of the twin digital and green transitions.

The Covid-19 pandemic crisis has clearly magnified the role that digital and energy technologies have on people, businesses and the economy. We saw how heavily we rely on digital and energy solutions to enable us to telework, heat our homes, manage our hospitals, and run our businesses.

Monitoring the evolution of digital technologies, such as blockchain, to identify the most promising and disruptive ones is of primary importance in the effort to support and speed up the race of the European Union towards a greener and more sustainable future. Blockchain technologies are proving that they have a lot to offer in supporting and streamlining evidence-based decision-making in the fields of climate and sustainable energy.

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Details

Publication date
16 March 2022 (Last updated on: 16 March 2022)
Author
Joint Research Centre