UK Power Networks wins funding for innovation trials
Three power projects receive nearly £25M of additional funding
A roadmap for UK Power Networks’ innovation programme has been set following Ofgem’s awarding of nearly £25 million for Strategic Innovation Fund projects.
After nine months of successful research and development, three projects have been selected to start large-scale trials which could both increase the reliability of power supplies and accelerate the goal oo Net Zero.
The projects receiving £24,951,881 of additional Beta phase funding are:
SHIELD: An innovative look into how new technologies can work together to support low-income households in the Net Zero transition. The trial will install a combination of solar panels and battery storage solutions, as well as capturing heat from mini data centres installed at participants’ homes
CReDo+: Establishing a ‘digital twin’ and enabling secure data sharing for both networks and asset owners to build resilience against climate change and identify areas of risk between assets in extreme weather events
Heatropolis: A decarbonisation trial focused on the whole system planning between the electricity network and local heat networks. The project will demonstrate how community heat networks can support the operation of electricity networks
It’s the first time that electricity distribution networks have been included in the funding programme. UK Power Networks has been awarded 30% of the funding awarded to companies in Round 2. The selected projects have successfully completed Discovery and Alpha phases, which validated the potential benefits and shaped the scope for the upcoming trials. These projects will be joined by additional Alpha phase projects as part of SIF Round 3 later this year.
Head of innovation at UK Power Networks, Luca Grella said: “We’ve been a big supporter of the Strategic Innovation Fund over the past 12 months, and now is where the fun really begins.
“It’s incredibly exciting, not only to be dramatically scaling up the scope of these projects, but to be working alongside some of the brightest minds in our sector to bring them to life. We work with dozens upon dozens of partners every year to help shape the future of our industry, and we look forward to strengthening those relationships further.”
