The increasing integration of decentralised renewable energy sources (RES) in Slovenia and Croatia has led to a lack of flexibility resources needed to regulate the electricity system. In 2014, the transmission system operators (HOPS and ELES) and distribution system operators (HEP ODS and SODO) of Croatia and Slovenia began to search for joint solutions. The most promising appeared to be establishing international cooperation in setting up smart grids – and the idea of the SINCRO.GRID project was born.
Croatia and Slovenia decided to present the project to the European Commission (EC) as a proposal for a Project of Common Interest (PCI) in the field of smart grids. In 2015, the EC included the project on the PCI list. The contract "Action n° 10.3-0022-SIHR-W-M-16 Implementation of the SINCRO.GRID PCI – Phase 1 " on co-financing of the project by the EC was signed in Brussels on 22 May 2017.
The SINCRO.GRID—Phase 1 smart grid project innovatively integrated mature technologies that benefit the electricity systems of Slovenia and Croatia, as well as the countries in the region. The project included the deployment of compensation devices, an advanced dynamic thermal rating system, a battery energy storage system, and a virtual cross-border control centre.