ENA consults on 2020 workplan for Open Networks project

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) has launched a consultation on the 2020 workplan for its Open Networks project, which aims to facilitate the decarbonisation of the energy system by making it smarter and more flexible.

The trade body has also released its end of year report for the work it carried out during 2019.

Randolph Brazier, head of innovation and development at the ENA, said one of its main priorities last year was getting flexibility markets up and running.

He said auctions, such as the 344MW tender announced by Western Power Distribution recently, have now become commonplace following the commitment by all six of the distribution network operators (DNOs) to consider flexibility services whenever they are managing significant network constraints.

Brazier told Utility Week the ENA is planning to shift its focus during 2020 towards standardisation – an issue that was raised by Ofgem in an open letter to the ENA in July – and increasing participation: “That’s ultimately what industry wants and that’s going to help us bring liquidity into these new types of markets.”

He said the experience for providers requires further improvement “from the initial visibility of network constraints and network issues, right through to the reporting and checks on what we actually did; what we dispatched.”

At the moment, flexibility markets are still “fairly nascent” and suffer from low liquidity in many places: “In some areas of the country with some of the tenders that we’re running, we’re getting 100 per cent – or even more than 100 per cent – of what we need. But in other areas we get very little.”

The ENA has already created a standard flexibility contract and will shortly reveal a set of four common power services that DNOs will procure. Brazier said this type of standardisation will not affect the ability of DNOs to hold auctions on different platforms, adding: “We very much want to continue with our principle of being neutral market facilitators.”

He said network operators are additionally hoping to roll out new types of auction in 2020, perhaps for constraint management on the low voltage network or other services such as voltage control.

Another aim for the next 12 months will be to develop a common methodology for assessing the value of flexibility when compared to traditional reinforcements, as well as comparing the cost of solutions in different network sectors.

Brazier stressed that the workplan is subject to change, even once the consultation has been completed: “We want to make sure we’re running a project that is focusing on areas that people care about.

“We’re trying to be agile in our approach. And this is throughout the year as well. If other priorities come up within the year we can relatively easily re-prioritise and re-focus.”

He said the ENA will hold a series of three forums during the year to seek feedback from community energy groups, which have previously shown a low level of engagement with online consultations and have expressed a preference for face-to-face meetings.

The deadline for responses to the consultation is 17 March.