Innovation for UK networks – ENA roadmap
The UK Energy Networks Association (ENA) has published its first integrated strategy for gas and electricity network innovation.
The strategy, which is based on extensive industry consultation, is aimed to enable stakeholders to understand the key priorities for network innovation.
It sets out the key principles and themes that will guide network innovation and enable the delivery of safe, resilient networks that facilitate the energy system transition and meet the evolving needs of energy consumers.
The ENA comments that since the previous network strategy two years ago, the innovation landscape and industry priorities have changed dramatically, with funding streams and mechanisms changing, clearer working partnerships and heightened ambition around reaching net zero.
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The strategy is centred around three overarching network innovation objectives, which are the three consumer-facing outcome categories set by the regulator Ofgem that underpin all network innovation activity. These are to meet the needs of users, to maintain a safe and resilient network and to deliver an environmentally sustainable network.
Innovation themes
The network innovation themes are:
● Data and digitalisation, with the development of new data services and the application of data science methods to harness the power of digitalisation to solve system operation and the wider stakeholder challenges. Near-term priorities including improving the standardisation and interoperability of network data and new approaches to developing and prioritising use cases for the future data-driven networks.
● Flexibility and market evolution, with development and testing of market-based solutions to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the energy system and accelerating adoption of low carbon solutions. Near-term priorities include simplifying flexibility market structures, eliminating barriers to entry for smaller market entrants and developing commercial arrangements for connecting and supplying green hydrogen.
● Net zero and the energy system transition. Near-term priorities include developing market solutions to enable the energy transition for all consumers, enabling the transition to low and zero carbon transport and heating for all users and supporting all consumers to engage in the energy transition.
● Optimised assets and practices, with the development and implementation of industry-leading techniques. Near-term priorities include reducing and mitigating future unplanned outages, exploring innovative methods to train and upskill the workforce and exploring how to future-proof assets and practices.
● Supporting consumers in vulnerable situations. Near-term priorities include exploring how to reduce the financial impact of net zero on consumers in vulnerable situations, understanding how network companies can support the fuel poor and improving network engagement with these consumers.
● Whole energy system transition, with the development of joined-up approaches across sectors and energy vectors. Near-term priorities include exploring data sharing opportunities between networks companies and with other service providers and joining up approaches to regional network planning and forecasting.
“We’re excited to launch our first integrated whole systems innovation strategy and to bring our electricity and gas networks closer together to deliver the innovations needed to deliver net zero,” says Dan Clarke, Head of Innovation at ENA, which represents the energy network operators in the UK and Ireland.
“We’ve worked extremely closely across a number of industries to deliver a roadmap for the next generation of innovation projects and consulted with hundreds of people from across the energy industry and beyond to deliver a strategy that is coordinated and focused on the key priorities facing our energy system, whilst delivering benefits for customers.”
The strategy document notes that it is intentionally high level with its intention to inspire and excite the innovation community without being too prescriptive.
The ENA notes in the document that since 2009, the network companies have trialled and tested over 2,000 innovative ideas. Between 2020–2021, 95% of innovation projects included multiple network companies, with 88% involving working with third-party organisations.
