A consortium including Community Energy Scotland, CGI, EDF, Elexon, Energy Systems Catapult, Kaluza and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks is set to launch a flexibility exchange in Orkney.
Electron is leading the TraDER trial, which has secured £1.6m from government, with £1.1m in match funding from the consortium. Downing LLP and United Utilities are also involved.
TraDER aims to create a multi-faced flexibility market, where people can bid into multiple services via a single interface.
The archipelago was chosen as the initial location to build the marketplace because its renewable generation often exceeds grid capacity.
“For Orkney, key players are wind farms, which are being curtailed on one side, and flexibility from either thermal generation or demand turn-up on the other,” said Electron CEO and co-founder, Jo-Jo Hubbard
“The first participants will be households; there is a lot of electric heating in situ, as Orkney has no gas grid; but there is municipal flexibility and supply side flexibility also to come online,” she added.
While businesses on the islands have not yet been engaged, “we are looking to scale it later this year”.
Electron hopes to use the learning to scale its marketplace.
Full details here.
Related stories:
Ovo’s Kaluza takes stake in Electron
Coalition of energy firms join blockchain flex trading platform project
Japan’s biggest utility invests in blockchain firm Electron
Blockchain – not the definitive article
Utilitywise strategy chief Jon Ferris joins Electron
Electron wins £640k to scale blockchain DSR trading platform
Former Npower chief joins blockchain firm Electron
Can blockchain unlock demand-side response?
Click here to see if you qualify for a free subscription to the print magazine, or to renew.
Follow us at @EnergystMedia. For regular bulletins, sign up for the free newsletter.
