The Renewables Grid Initiative is a group of transmission system operators and environmental and climate NGOs collaborating on a nature-friendly renewables grid for the energy transition. 

This webinar is part of their Resilient & Optimised Grids webinar series. It will dive into Hitachi Energy’s collaboration with Elia Group on closing the loop for decommissioned transformers, reducing environmental impacts and enhancing supply chain resilience.

Transformers are a key component in the development of the electricity grid infrastructure needed to reach decarbonisation goals. Manufacturing them requires significant resources, including materials such as copper, steel, aluminium and mineral oil. This can introduce potential vulnerabilities in grid supply chains, considering the concentration of critical raw materials in specific countries and the rising global demand for them.

To explore practical examples already being implemented on the ground, this webinar will dive into Switzerland-based Hitachi Energy’s initiative of incorporating circular measures into transformer supply chains. Their approach is structured around the 5R framework (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle), and comprises the whole chain from transformer design to end-of-life management.

The presentation will share insights from the pilot initiative with the Belgian Elia Group, which closes the loop at the assets’ end of life to recover critical materials from decommissioned transformers. This supports grid operators’ sustainability and circularity goals, and enhances European energy and supply chain security in the face of increasing supply chain disruptions.

This webinar will take place at 14:30 to 15:45 CEST on 22 September. Register here.