EIB Backs Reactive Technologies to Cut Outage Risks and Boost Clean Power

Up to €7 million of the EIB loan will support research and development at Reactive Technologies’ centre in Oulu, Finland, with €12 million allocated to deploying the technology across the European Union.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €19 million to Reactive Technologies, a power-grid technology company co-founded in the United Kingdom and Finland, to expand a platform that helps operators understand grid stability in real time. The financing will support technology designed to reduce outage risks, lower grid operating costs, and make room for more clean electricity.

Giving Operators a Clearer View of the Grid

Reactive Technologies' GridVerix platform measures key indicators that show how well an electricity network can withstand disruption. These include inertia, the stored kinetic energy in generators that helps the system cope with sudden disturbances, together with the strength and stability of voltage across different parts of the grid. Having access to these measurements gives operators a clearer picture of vulnerabilities and helps them manage changing conditions with greater confidence.

Connecting additional wind and solar generation makes this information increasingly valuable, particularly as networks also accommodate electricity-intensive facilities such as data centres. GridVerix can help operators maintain stability as these demands grow, supporting the secure integration of renewable energy. EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer said Europe needs grids capable of keeping pace with the expansion of clean power, describing real-time visibility as an important tool for reducing outage risks and bringing the company's technology to more markets.

Reducing Wasted Clean Power and Operating Costs

The platform can help reduce renewable energy curtailment, which happens when electricity generation is deliberately lowered. Cutting this curtailment would allow more available clean power to be used and could reduce the associated costs for consumers. Better information about grid conditions can also support more efficient network operations, making the technology relevant to both electricity reliability and the cost of managing the energy transition.

Reactive Technologies Chief Executive Officer Marc Borrett said the financing comes at a critical moment, with growing renewable generation and large consumers such as data centres making Europe's networks more complex to manage. He explained that real-time stability measurements can help operators keep systems secure and run them more efficiently, with potential benefits for consumers through lower costs. These are expected benefits of wider deployment, rather than a guarantee of a particular reduction in electricity bills.

Funding Finnish Research and European Deployment

Up to €7 million of the EIB loan will support research and development at Reactive Technologies' centre in Oulu, Finland, with €12 million allocated to deploying the technology across the European Union. The funding connects continued technical development with broader commercial use, helping the company improve its platform and bring it to more electricity networks facing the challenges of rising clean generation and growing demand.

The support takes the form of venture debt, a type of long-term financing for innovative, high-growth companies that provides additional capital without the same ownership dilution associated with raising equity. Backed by the InvestEU programme, the operation also contributes to TechEU, the EIB Group initiative supporting faster investment in strategic technologies and stronger European technological competitiveness. For Reactive Technologies, the loan provides resources to expand tools that could help Europe use more clean electricity without compromising grid stability.