Last year, Eesti Energia invested €12.8 million in R&D, with a focus on artificial intelligence solutions for customer services, and the development of the chemical industry.

According to Martin Laid, who is the head of Eesti Energia's IT innovation laboratory, implementing solutions based on artificial intelligence can help them advance on the green transition more quickly. This allows the company to provide customers with smart, money-saving, and eco-friendly solutions that would not be possible using conventional methods.

‘In a renewable energy-based world, smart decisions must be made by consumers, producers, and market participants based on an ever-increasing amount of data that requires data processing capabilities to comprehend and process,’ said Laid. ‘Eesti Energia's goal is to develop artificial intelligence-based solutions for customers that help to make smart choices seamless. This device monitors consumption, production, and energy market prices to make choices that maximise customer benefits.’

One such example is the energy use optimiser being developed by Eesti Energia. Based on a person's home consumption profile, it controls the solar panels, energy storage, and electric car charger in the most profitable way, taking into account both the electricity exchange prices and the network tariff. Eesti Energia also uses solutions based on artificial intelligence to trade on energy markets or reduce emissions from power plants.

Eesti Energia’s goal is to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, and in this way develop a carbon-neutral chemical industry based on the circular economy. Therefore, the financially most significant R&D efforts focused on reducing emissions from production equipment, improving product quality, and environmental research. The Group’s R&D investments increased by nearly a million euros during the year.

More than 90% of R&D investments remained in Estonia. The R&D activities in 2024 will focus on green and digitised energy services, transforming the chemical industry, and developing the power grid for seamless adaptation to the distributed production model.

We will also continue to develop smart services and contribute to the popularisation of the energy sector among young people.

TalTech became Eesti Energia’s biggest R&D partner last year, and active cooperation is also ongoing with the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the University of Tartu. The company also cooperates with international technology and design companies in the field of research and development.

Eesti Energia belongs to several associations that stand for innovation, such as the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, Estonian Circular Economy Industries Association, 2% Club of the Estonian Employers Confederation, Innovation Leaders Club, and the Estonian Plastics Association. Estonia also participates in several international R&D projects, where the focus is on innovative solutions for charging electric cars and renovating apartment buildings.