HiHELIOS Accelerates Towards HESS Assembly at its 3rd General Assembly in Belgium

Tienen & Leuven, Belgium | 3–4 June 2026

The HiHELIOS consortium gathered in Belgium on 3–4 June 2026 for its 3rd General Assembly (GA), hosted by project partners Watt4Ever in Tienen and Flanders Make in Leuven. The two-day meeting brought together partners from across Europe to review progress, align upcoming technical activities, and reinforce collaboration as the project moves decisively toward the implementation and validation of its innovative Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) solutions.

HiHELIOS is developing a modular, scalable, and circular-by-design hybrid energy storage platform that combines second-life batteries with high-power storage technologies, enabling a wide range of grid services while accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy system.

The General Assembly showcased significant achievements across all work packages. Partners presented progress in system architecture, battery management, energy management, digital tools, and demonstration activities, while coordinating the next phase of technical integration and deployment. Discussions focused on system interoperability, use case implementation, exploitation strategies, and stakeholder engagement, all aimed at maximizing the project's long-term impact.

The meeting also highlighted several key milestones that will drive HiHELIOS into its next implementation phase:

• Battery Management System (BMS) ready for integration 

• Power Management System (PMS) ready for integration 

• Hardware components ordered and preparation activities underway for HESS assembly and manufacturing 

These achievements mark an important transition from development to system integration, bringing the project significantly closer to real-world deployment and validation though the 4 uses cases (fast EV-charging station, marina, municipal aggregator, RES integration).

An online session with Norwegian stakeholder Fagne provided valuable insights into its role as a distribution system operator serving approximately 96,000 customers across 19 municipalities. Particular attention was given to the Utsira microgrid project, an islanded energy system demonstrating renewable integration, battery storage, and wind power operation with stable voltage and frequency control. The case highlighted the potential of advanced energy storage solutions to enhance grid resilience, support blackout operation capabilities, and enable greater renewable energy penetration.

A dedicated workshop on the Ethiopian replication study further strengthened the project's international dimension. Jimma University presented the technical, economic, and regulatory landscape of Ethiopia, exploring how HiHELIOS technologies can contribute to increased grid flexibility, renewable energy integration, and local energy storage needs. The workshop fostered valuable knowledge exchange and helped refine the roadmap for future replication and assessment activities.

Another highlight was the presentation by project partner Energy Pool introducing GEG as a candidate external stakeholder for HiHELIOS. Majority-owned by the City of Grenoble, GEG operates as the electricity and gas distribution system operator for the Grenoble area while also managing renewable energy assets across hydropower, solar PV, wind, and biogas. As part of its strategic transition toward energy flexibility services, GEG is actively deploying battery energy storage systems in urban, rural, and alpine environments across France, offering valuable expertise and potential collaboration opportunities for the project.

Beyond the technical sessions, the General Assembly provided an excellent platform for networking, collaboration, and strategic alignment among partners. Face-to-face discussions strengthened the consortium's shared commitment to delivering innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable hybrid energy storage solutions capable of addressing diverse energy challenges across Europe and beyond.

As HiHELIOS enters the critical HESS assembly and manufacturing phase, the outcomes of the 3rd General Assembly demonstrate strong project momentum and a clear path forward. With core systems reaching integration readiness, hardware procurement completed, and demonstration activities approaching implementation, HiHELIOS is taking decisive steps toward delivering next-generation hybrid energy storage solutions that will enable more flexible, resilient, and sustainable energy systems for the future.