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Third call for proposals for SWEET funding programme launched

The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) has launched the third call for proposals under the SWEET (Swiss Energy Research for the Energy Transition) funding programme. The guiding theme of the call, which has a total budget of CHF 10 million, is 'Critical Infrastructures, Climate Change, and Resilience of the Swiss Energy System'.

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Image: pixabay

The focus of the third call for proposals is on critical infrastructures, such as power plants, dams and the power grid. The research challenges are:

  • How does the restructuring of the energy system affect critical infrastructures?
  • How vulnerable is the energy system to technical, natural or societal hazards?
  • What can be done to mitigate the risks for the energy system and society and make the energy system more resilient?

The term 'energy system' here refers to the evolving system in the period from 2021 to 2050. This also addresses hazards or risks resulting from increased decentralisation of the power supply and digitalisation of the energy system (cyber risks). Of particular interest are hazards which are caused or exacerbated by climate change.

The call will be conducted in two stages. Research consortia from universities, non-profit research institutions, the private sector and the public sector can submit a pre-proposal by 3 December 2021. The two consortia with the highest-ranking pre-proposals will be invited to submit a full proposal. At the end of the process one consortium will be selected. The call budget of CHF 10 million will be awarded for a term of 6 to 8 years. The results of the third call are expected to be announced in July 2022, and the research work is scheduled to start in October 2022.

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