# Evaluating the Flexibility Benefits of Smart Grid Innovations in Transmission Networks
## 2 Innovation Technology for Improving the Power System Flexibility: The FlexITRANSTORE Project  
FLEXITRANSTORE project commenced in 2017 and will complete its activities in 2021. It shall provide the technical basis to support the valorization of flexibility services through innovative smart grid technologies, enhancing the existing European Internal Energy Market (IEM). The strategic objectives of FLEXITRANSTORE are: to enhance and accelerate the integration of renewables into European energy systems and to increase cross border electricity flows across Europe. Flexibility is one of the keys to meeting these strategic objectives. A range of state-of-the-art ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) technologies/control improvements will be exploited to enhance the flexibility of this novel energy grid while increasing the utility of the existing infrastructure by integrating storage and demand response management. From a market perspective, state-of-the-art ICT technologies/control improvements will be applied to develop an enhanced market model on an integrated platform, for flexibility services and to support cross border auctioningand trading of energy. FLEXITRANSTORE deploys 8 pilot Demonstrations which will take place in 6 countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovenia, France, Spain), focusing on illustrating specific functions and serving real needs and existing challenges. During the FLEXITRANSTORE project, a flexibility adequacy assessment method has been developed through a simulation platform and specific what-if scenarios add-ins have been developed, in order to evaluate the benefits of innovations into grid operation. Smart grid innovations and their impact on system operation is a common task of many R&D activities. The hereby strategic decision-making method proposed in the FLEXITRANSTORE is applicable by system operators (both TSO and DSO) with a wider scope for planning purposes. In many countries, DSOs operate HV levels 110/150 kV networks and formulate 5-year planning studies for the complete HV-MV-LV levels (i.e., in Slovenia ELJ, HEDNO in the 150 kV networks of Crete, Rhodes, and Lesvos Islands). Flexible solutions are often considered to be best suited to managing short-term or real-time issues on power systems; thus, their long-term benefits in system planning may be overlooked. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) approaches used by many utilities to support decision-making in the long-term investment planning process have gaps which can lead to suboptimum investment decisions. Benefits such as redeployability, deferral of investments modularity, and scalability are not clearly identified. If these areas are uncovered and an amendment is made to one or more best practice CBA methodologies, then the decision-making process will be better overall and lead to better decisions including the possibility of identifying flexible solutions that should be deployed in the long-term process. This will support the achievement of the Energy Union by increasing the efficiency of investments. In the context of FLEXITRANSTORE, these benefits provided by smart grid innovations are taken under consideration. The project's area of focus is to enable the testing of flexibility services provided by innovative technologies and market design. FLEXITRANSTORE's approach targets the entire energy industry value chain by focusing on not only a stronger, more flexible infrastructure, but also the capabilities of demand side response, improved operations, more flexible generation, and the integration of storage to accelerate RES (renewable energy sources) integration and increase cross border flows from a market and system perspective. Everything is interconnected. Touching each of the flexibility services across the value chain shall result in a big impact on the overall system. PFC (Priority Flow Control) for flow redirections, short term solutions, leasing opportunities for noncapital intensive solutions, while DLRs (Dynamic Line Rating) and battery solutions retain an asset value after the completion of a project.