The EU Project Zone Podcast: GIFT with Igor Steiner

GIFT is a Horizon 2020 project that aims to help decarbonise the energy mix of European islands. To accomplish that, the international teams working on the project are developing innovative systems to allow islands to integrate a vast amount of renewables. In this episode of The EU Project Zone Podcast, Areti Ntaradimou talks to project coordinator Igor Steiner about the ways in which GIFT aims to increase the penetration rate of renewable energy sources into the islands’ grid, in order to reduce their needs for diesel generation and decrease the greenhouse gases emissions directly related to it. Within the course of 4 years, the project’s partners will develop and demonstrate solutions in two lighthouse islands. In Hinnøya, which is Norway’s largest island and on the small island of Procida in Italy. At the same time, they will study the replicability of the solutions in two other islands. A Greek and Italian island, respectively Evia and Favignana. One of the focus points of the project and the conversation is that of electric vehicles and the data coming from them. According to Igor, “the countries, especially in the North, are already experiencing issues due to the high number of electrical chargers”. Mainly the fact that all that “should somehow be coordinated and managed to a degree that it causes no bigger issues than it already has”. Another “hot” subtopic of the electric transportation concerning the European islands, is that of electric ferries. A very popular means of transportation between islands and between islands and the mainland in Europe. “When working with ferries, one needs to worry about whether the grid is strong enough to support them. Electric ferries require storage and their batteries can have the power of one megawatt or more. That can be a bit of an issue” says Igor. And of course, all objectives of the GIFT project are only feasible with the support and participation of the people that live on the islands. Indeed, as the projects coordinator says, “the citizens of the islands are an important part of the energy community and as such, they are a priority”. Listen to the full discussion to find out more about this innovative island project.