Setting the Course to Net-Zero: AFRY and FICO Optimization Power Global Energy Transition

As countries around the globe navigate the complexities of the energy transition, AFRY stands out for showing how mathematical optimization can transform this process. As a prominent global engineering, design, and consultancy firm, AFRY is driving change in energy planning with its innovative BID3 power market modeling platform. Using FICO® Xpress Optimization, BID3 empowers policymakers, utilities, grid operators, and investors to develop cost-efficient paths to net-zero emissions while safeguarding energy security and affordability.

For its achievements, AFRY has won the 2026 FICO® Decision Award for ESG Champion.

With BID3, AFRY leverages extensive datasets—including weather, demand projections, plant details, and fuel price information—and the FICO Xpress Optimization engine to deliver system-wide least-cost outcomes that align with reliability and policy requirements. BID3 has been adopted by 30 organisations globally and saw its user base grow by 25% in 2025, reflecting a rising need for advanced energy modelling solutions.

“Traditional modeling approaches are no longer adequate for the complexity of modern energy systems,” said Zeid Munir, principal – Modeling Solutions at AFRY . “ BID3’s powerful architecture has made it central to major national studies, such as the UK’s 2038 to 2043 Carbon Budget. In 2025, we saw a 25% increase in BID3’s global user base, driven by its enhanced modeling capabilities.”

Meeting the Demands of a Changing Power World

“Power systems around the world are undergoing an unprecedented transformation,” said Munir . “Decarbonization, electrification, affordability and energy-security are reshaping the energy markets. Nations are racing to meet net-zero targets, driving rapid deployment of renewable generation, mass electrification of transport and industry, coupled with the evolution of market structures. Long-term investment planning is becoming increasingly complex.”

AFRY’s clients sought robust tools to analyse policy effects, test infrastructure plans, and assess investment risks for future scenarios. Emerging technologies and mechanisms—such as battery storage, hydrogen electrolysis, and flexible demand—are now pivotal in energy markets. Previous models lacked the flexibility needed for accurate, scalable representation of these innovations.

“To meet these challenges, we turned to FICO Xpress Optimization to help develop a scalable, high-fidelity simulation and decisioning platform that could bridge the gap between modeling and reality,” said Munir . “We chose FICO’s optimization solution for its industrial-grade linear and mixed-integer programming capabilities and scalability across complex, multi-dimensional problems. No other solution on the market provided the tools we need.”

With BID3, wholesale electricity markets can be simulated at high resolution, allowing for optimised production and investment choices across various timeframes and regions. The system offers unit commitment modelling down to one-minute intervals, stochastic optimisation for hydropower management, and integrated sector modelling for hydrogen, heat, and water systems.

BID3 draws from comprehensive energy sector data, including weather, demand, plant specifics, fuel costs, and market mechanisms. The FICO® Xpress Optimization engine then identifies least-cost solutions to meet energy needs over time, maintaining system reliability and fulfilling policy objectives. Its user-friendly outputs aid investment and policy decisions, enabling clients to pinpoint cost-effective, low-carbon strategies and evaluate market designs under future conditions.

Supporting Major Infrastructure Decisions Across Europe

BID3’s practical impact is seen in its support for billion-dollar investment decisions and national energy strategies. The platform assists leading European transmission system operators, including projects for the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net-Zero, Statnett’s annual market analysis in Norway, German grid development for TransnetBW and Amprion, and electricity supply security for Denmark’s Energinet.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Europe (ENTSO-E) employed BID3 for its key Bidding Zone Review, evaluating electricity bidding zone arrangements across Europe to promote efficient market operation and renewable integration.

“AFRY have essentially created the 'GPS for net-zero'—a platform that navigates millions of variables to find optimal paths to clean energy,” said Déborah Oliveira, founder and editor-in-chief at IT Forum and one of the FICO Decision Awards judges. “The mathematics are reshaping energy policy at continental scale.”

AFRY’s range of use cases demonstrate BID3’s ability to influence billion-dollar investment decisions and national energy policy using robust optimization powered by FICO technology. That's the kind of impact that keeps me excited about what's possible when smart algorithms meet urgent global challenges.

How FICO Can Help You Optimize Resource Allocation

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• Read Supercharging Optimisation: How Artelys, FICO and NVIDIA cuOpt Join Efforts to Scale Up Energy System Optimisation - Artelys