The board of the Ministry for Industry’s Industrial Technological Development Centre in Spain (CDTI for its initials in Spanish) has included an Endesa-led project in the second edition of the CENIT Programme. In Spanish, CENIT stands for National Strategic Consortia for Technical Research.

The Denise project is an initiative to research the development of next generation electricity distribution networks. It is a four-year project with a budget of Euro 30 million the aim of which is to carry out research into distribution network intelligence and control focused primarily on ensuring the efficient management of supply and demand and the maintenance of a secure network.

The overriding purpose is to establish the framework for an intelligent, safe and efficient electricity distribution network. The CDTI underscored the project’s technical evaluation, which was third highest among all projects presented.

The Denise consortium is led by ENDESA with the participation of 12 companies and seven research entities: Hidrocantábrico Energía; Cap Gemini; Cetecom (AT4Wireless); DMR Consulting (Everis); DS2; Eliop; Home Systems; Inelcom; Isotrol; Sadiel; Taim-TFG; Telvent; Greenpower; AICIA; CIRCE; CITCEA; IIT–Comillas; the University of Malaga (ISIS and IC); the Polytechnic University of Madrid (CeDInt) and the CITIC and Creafutur Foundations.

In all, the Ministry decided to lend support to 15 of the 42 projects presented, with an overall grant of Euro 200 spread over four years. The projects’ 4-year budgets total Euro 406 million so that the grants will finance the equivalent of 50% of each project.

The proposals are part of the CENIT Programme within the “Ingenio 2010” initiative which are aimed at promoting research in areas of great strategic importance in order to optimally position the Spanish economy on the global stage.

The inclusion of the Denise project marks the second ENDESA-led project to receive support from the CDTI, underscoring the Company’s firm commitment to R&D and to Spanish industry.

The first project included, which will also last four years and has a budget of Euro 26 million, entails in-depth research into the CO2 cycle, from the reduction of emissions to the capture, storage and use or destruction of the CO2 molecule.