Major funding has been awarded to tackle decarbonisation and energy resilience challenges across the North West.
Engineers from Electricity North West will use the £300,000 funding to carry out feasibility studies into two potential ground-breaking projects which will help accelerate the region to net zero.
The power network operator will explore these in detail with the aim of bringing huge cost and carbon savings to residents and businesses in the region.
Funding has been secured from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) of which in the last 12 months, Electricity North West has been awarded more than £1.4m to develop and research other net zero projects it has which are still ongoing.
World-leading technology
Victoria Turnham, Electricity North West’s head of network innovation, said: “We’ve got a track record of developing world-leading technology right here in the North West, so it’s great to be recognised again with more funding.
“The way people use electricity in the North West is changing and we’re seeing more customers and businesses adopt low carbon technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicles.
“It’s our role to ensure the network is ready and as one of the most digital electricity networks in the world, we need to constantly look at ways to operate more smartly and efficiently.
“Both projects could provide major benefits to customers and businesses in the region, and I look forward to seeing the results.”
One project, CoolDown, will explore the impact of increasing use of air conditioning in homes and offices and the impact on the power network. The project will explore the opportunities for flexibility to help balance electricity demand throughout the day.
This will reduce the requirements for additional expensive infrastructure. Electricity North West will deliver this project in conjunction with Guidehouse Europe and UCL Consultants Ltd.
A second project, LDES NODE, will analyse different types of technology, such as pumped hydro, hydrogen, compressed air and batteries to assist with long-duration energy storage (LDES).
Once assessing the different types of technologies, the project will identify areas on the network where technology could sit, and a map of optimum locations would be created.
Local authorities will benefit from integrating the tool in their Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs). It will provide data-driven insights into key locations for LDES installation, aligning with broader net-zero energy plans. Electricity North West will deliver this project in conjunction with Environmental Resources Management.
These projects are funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem and managed in partnership with Innovate UK.
