Within the framework of the European ERDF-ESF+ Programme 2021-2027, Action Sheet 1.1.13 “Supporting Réunion’s integration into the European Research Area (ERA), Indian Ocean and international spaces”, the beneficiary commits to carrying out the following operation, funded by the ERDF:
“BECOME: BEnefits of COmplementarity of interMittent Energies”
The purpose of this operation is to contribute to Réunion’s energy transition towards a 100% renewable electricity mix, by examining the potential benefits of complementarity between solar and wind resources, as well as their hybridisation in future energy systems.
The content of the operation referred to in this article, as well as its implementation arrangements, are described in the attached annexes — specifying in particular the objective, the eligible cost of the subsidised operation, the description of investments supported by structural funds, the provisional implementation schedule, project-related indicators and publicity obligations. These annexes, together with this document, constitute the contractual components of the agreement.
The BECOME project is funded by the European Union in the amount of €153,099.75 under the ERDF-ESF+ Réunion programme, for which the Réunion Region is the Managing Authority. Europe is committed to Réunion through the ERDF. The Réunion Region supplements this funding with a national counterpart of €24,010.72, for a total budget of €177,110.47, fully covered.
General objective To quantitatively characterise the complementarity properties of solar and wind resources and explore the economic, environmental and technical benefits of their hybridisation, in order to facilitate Réunion’s energy transition towards a 100% renewable electricity mix.
Specific objectives
Building a high-resolution database for renewable energy studies in Réunion
Identifying the benefits of hybrid solar-wind-battery power plants for Réunion
Scientific / technological challenges Lack of a consistent high-resolution database for solar and wind resources in Réunion. Solar-wind complementarity insufficiently documented in non-interconnected zones (NIZ). Optimisation of hybrid configurations under tropical island meteorological constraints. Integration of intermittent energies into an isolated electrical grid with high energy dependency.
Work packages (WP)
Action 1: Data collection and processing (M1-M8)
Action 2: Complementarity analysis and hybrid system optimisation (M6-M24)
Scientific impacts
First comprehensive study of solar-wind complementarity in Réunion
Contribution to the knowledge of renewable resources in tropical non-interconnected zones
Reproducible methodologies for complementarity analysis applicable to other island territories
Socio-economic impacts
Reduction of storage needs through optimisation of solar-wind combinations
Potential decrease in electricity costs (currently ~€300/MWh)
Decision-support for renewable energy investments
Territorial / environmental impacts
Contribution to Réunion’s energy self-sufficiency
Increase in the share of local intermittent energies in the electricity mix
Reduction of dependency on imported fossil fuels (target: 100% renewable)
Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
Valorisation activities
Open-access databases for research and industry
Complementarity index mapping for siting guidance
Optimal hybrid power plant configurations adapted to local conditions
Dissemination activities
Project web page
Open-access scientific publications
Final dissemination seminar open to energy transition stakeholders
Financial partners
The BECOME project is funded by the European Union under the ERDF-ESF+ Réunion programme, for which the Réunion Region is the Managing Authority. Europe is committed to Réunion through the ERDF.
Academic partners
The project involves a partnership with DTU Wind Energy, part of the Technical University of Denmark, a Danish academic partner. Its central role focuses on wind energy expertise, particularly through internationally recognised tools such as the Global Wind Atlas, WAsP and HyDesign, which will support resource analyses and hybrid configuration optimisation within the project.
