Two generators tripping caused the biggest frequency drop for years, with widespread power outages as National Grid’s systems disconnected demand in order to limit the impact. RWE’s 740MW Little Barford gas-fired power station reported that it had tripped first, followed by some units at Ørsted’s Hornsea offshore wind farm. Strong winds led to exceptional volumes Read more…
Heat: the self defeating problem of the energy sector
Decarbonising heat is a challenge – but one that the industry can solve. The best place to start is by doing the basics: measuring, managing and optimising instead of working on assumptions, says ADE director Tim Rotheray. My role involves a lot of speaking with people about the future energy system. Increasingly central to that Read more…
Delivering Net Zero: Unlocking the opportunity
Delivering Net Zero is the challenge and the opportunity of our times. Businesses and public sector organisations will be tasked with much of the heavy lifting. How do we get there? The Energyst is bringing together business and industry to discuss how to deliver Net Zero on 28/29 April 2020 at Silverstone. Delivering Net Zero: Heat Read more…
Capacity Market: Sara Bell on what happens next
Tempus Energy CEO Sara Bell says companies that hold Capacity Market agreements will know whether or not they will get paid before the year-end. The company is challenging the government in the high court in a bid to enforce the European Court of Justice’s ruling that the Capacity Market is unlawful. Bell wants to stop Read more…
DSR Event: Unlocking value in a shifting landscape
Don’t miss the free Demand-Side Response Event, 11 September, London The energy system is changing. Passive consumption of power will become more expensive as the UK develops a smart grid to decarbonise the economy. Flexibility will be key in a power system dominated by renewables. That has profound implications for businesses. The Energyst’s fifth annual Read more…
Government to consider multi-year contracts for DSR – if evidence
Government says it will consider multi-year agreements for demand-side response in the Capacity Market – if there is evidence to support they are required. The department for business, energy & industrial strategy (Beis) is mulling a number of Capacity Market changes as part of its five-year review, many relating to demand-side response (DSR). The Capacity Read more…
Net Zero: How to decarbonise heat?
Heat is the toughest aspect of decarbonisation. The Energyst asked utilities, investors and industry associations for some thoughts on how to do it According to Committee on Climate Change CEO Chris Stark, “it will be extraordinarily difficult to hit 2050 [net zero] without a plan in place for heat very quickly”. So what are the Read more…
Shell: Subsidise batteries for faster flex
The UK government should consider targeted support for small-scale battery storage if it wants households to participate in a smarter, lower carbon energy system, according to Brian Davis, vice president, Energy Solutions at Shell International. Shell New Energies acquired German battery storage firm Sonnen in February. The company has deployed hundreds of megawatts of storage Read more…
Statkraft: When is a VPP not a VPP?
State-owned Statkraft is building a big stake in the UK flexibility market. It aims to bring businesses into its AI-driven virtual power plant and simultaneously sell them energy. Brendan Coyne reports Statkraft has quietly amassed a gigawatt of flexibility in the UK. It plans to double this by the summer while building a pipeline of Read more…
Vehicle-to-grid: Are we nearly there yet?
In its most recent Future Energy Scenarios, National Grid predicts up to 11m EVs on UK roads by 2030, and as many as 36m by 2040. All National Grid’s scenarios feature smart charging to manage peak demand. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services – using car batteries to balance the grid or arbitrage wholesale market prices via bi-directional Read more…