At the COP30 summit in Belém on November 19, the second phase of the international Digital Demand-Driven Electricity Networks (3DEN) initiative was announced. The initiative is promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, the UN agency for the environment) in collaboration with the International Energy Agency and supported by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. Phase II will fund 14 pilot projects in eight countries—Brazil, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania—for an investment of €23 million, with the aim of accelerating the digitization of energy and agri-food systems, increasing their flexibility and resilience, and expanding access to clean and affordable energy.
In this context, Italy is playing a leading role in Brazil thanks to the VERDE (Vital Energy for Resilient Digital Ecosystem) project, selected among the winning initiatives of 3DEN Phase II. The project will be implemented in the municipality of Taquara, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and is designed and led by the spin-off Unical Smart City Instruments (SCI), in partnership with the University of Calabria (Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering), the University of Cagliari (Department of Mechanical, Chemistry and Materials), the spin-off UNICAL R&DCal, Universidade FACCAT, the Municipality of Taquara, the technology company Pináculo, and the electricity distributor RGE.
VERDE is designed as an urban-scale digital energy ecosystem, based on the creation of an energy community involving households, educational institutions, healthcare services, and third sector organizations. The project integrates production from renewable sources, digital tools for monitoring and managing consumption, and a training and participation program aimed at the local population, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable contexts. The vision is that of a city that manages energy in a shared way, reduces its dependence on centralized systems, and strengthens its ability to respond to climate and economic crises, while engaging in dialogue with peri-urban and rural areas.
