POWER FORWARD: Technologies for a changing energy system

Innovative storage technologies and flexibility solutions for tomorrow’s energy system

Following on from POWER ON: The future of electricity generation, the Vienna Museum of Science and Technology (TMW) and VERBUND are continuing their collaboration in the Innovation Corner. Their second joint presentation, POWER FORWARD: Technologies for a changing energy system, offers fascinating insights into the work and achievements of pioneers driving the transformation of the energy system. After all, the more electricity is generated from wind and solar power, the more important innovations for storing renewable energy, distributing it intelligently and enabling its flexible use become – helping to keep the power system stable in the future.

POWER FORWARD showcases solutions for transforming our energy system – from innovative batteries and hydrogen technologies to intelligent energy management and innovative charging solutions for electric cars – all of which are already paving the way towards a fully renewable energy system.

“The TMW has been presenting innovative technologies to the public since its inception. With VERBUND as our partner, we can already showcase visionary solutions for a renewable energy system to our many visitors. The projects on display offer a glimpse of a future that has already begun,”Peter Aufreiter, director general of the TMW.

“Without innovation, a clean energy future will not be possible. Together with its partners, VERBUND is setting forward-looking standards in the energy market and implementing flagship projects that demonstrate how renewable energy can be stored, used flexibly and reliably integrated into the system. With POWER FORWARD, we are showcasing these solutions together with the Vienna Museum of Science and Technology,” Karl Heinz Gruber, managing director of VERBUND Hydropower.

At the opening on 15 September 2026, TMW Director General Peter Aufreiter and Karl Heinz Gruber, managing director of VERBUND Hydropower, welcomed numerous interested guests. Following a keynote by Karl Heinz Gruber, Peter Aufreiter spoke with Monika Riedel, head of VERBUND Group Communications, about communicating innovation and technology to the general public.

The pitches by Sebastian Haid (TTTech Zyne) and Lukas Kloiber (Easelink) were followed by networking and lively discussion.

Projects on display

• Energy at the right time and in the right place (TTTech Zyne, VERBUND, TTTech)

  Wind and solar power do not always generate energy when it is needed. TTTech Zyne’s real-time energy management platform shows where energy is needed or generated and how it can be used most effectively. This enables companies to use electricity more efficiently and helps energy suppliers better balance supply and demand.

• A pinch of salt for the transition to clean energy (Aquabattery and VERBUND)

  The Dutch start-up Aquabattery uses water and salt to store energy without lithium or other critical raw materials. Because the liquids are stored in tanks, the storage capacity can be adjusted as needed. Together with partners such as VERBUND, a pilot plant has been built at the research institute in Delft to bring the technology closer to market readiness.

• Blue Battery – Hydropower and battery storage working in tandem (VERBUND)

  Our power grid is a balancing act: generation and consumption must remain in balance at all times. At the Wallsee-Mitterkirchen power plant site, VERBUND combines hydropower and battery storage at the same location. If the grid becomes unstable, the large-scale “Blue Battery” can respond within a fraction of a second and help restore stability, while the Danube power plant then provides long-term stability.

• OXYBATTERY – Oxygen ion battery (Vienna University of Technology and VERBUND)

  Surplus renewable energy needs to be stored, requiring a range of different storage solutions. Large-scale stationary electricity storage systems, in particular, are becoming increasingly important for the transition to clean energy. In this context, VERBUND is working with the Vienna University of Technology on an innovative oxygen ion battery that does not require critical raw materials such as lithium or cobalt. This particularly long-lasting battery, which is neither flammable nor toxic, could store renewable energy more safely and sustainably in the future.

• Green hydrogen for industry (Sunfire, Graz University of Technology and VERBUND)

  Many industrial companies still rely on fossil fuels. Dresden-based company Sunfire develops electrolysers that use renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen. Research was carried out with Graz University of Technology and VERBUND into the use of climate-neutral hydrogen at the Mellach gas power plant.

• Storing hydrogen safely (HydroSolid)

  Climate-neutral hydrogen is an important component of the energy transition – for example, as a long-term storage solution, process gas or an alternative to fossil fuels. The Austrian technology company HydroSolid has developed a nanopolymer that absorbs hydrogen in much the same way as a sponge absorbs water and releases it again as needed. This allows hydrogen to be stored more safely and compactly while making it more accessible.

• Bidirectional charging – electric cars as mobile storage units (Fronius and VERBUND)

  An electric car can also serve as a mobile electricity storage system. This is made possible by bidirectional charging, which allows electricity to flow not only into the vehicle but also back out of it. Within the V2G Alliance Austria, start-ups, companies and research organisations are working on the vehicles and charging stations needed for this.

• Wireless charging (Easelink)

  Graz-based high-tech company Easelink has developed Matrix Charging®, a technology for automated charging: the electric vehicle is parked over a charging pad, and its physical connection to the power grid is established automatically. This allows electric cars to be connected to the grid more frequently and, in future, to contribute to grid stability as decentralised storage systems.