DNOs launch ‘capacity visibility’ portals

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) and UK Power Networks (UKPN) have both launched separate portals to help connections customers plan their projects.

The open data portals will provide developers with up-to-date information to see exactly how much spare capacity is available at each grid supply point.

Developers will also be able to view how many projects are ahead of them in the queue, what they are and whether there are fast-track flexible connections available.

UKPN said the portal will allow developers to “make a more informed decision about when and where to site new projects, bringing more transparency and openness to the connections process and an integrated view with the transmission network”.

Matt White, head of network strategy at UKPN’s Distribution System Operator, said: “Customers have called on us to de-mystify the available capacity at the interface with the transmission network and their place in the queue to access it.

“This is what we’re delivering, putting new datasets based on customer needs on our Open Data Portal. It will drive more targeted and efficient connections decisions for our customers.”

NGED’s ClearViewConnect tool has been developed alongside Octopus Energy, RWE, and Severn Trent.

Much like UKPN’s tool, NGED’s portal will allow developers to see what their connection timeline could look like. It will also provide customers with information about potential reinforcements work needed.

Cordi O’Hara, president of National Grid Electricity Distribution, added: “As a company we have listened to our customers and have set about to find practical ways to accelerate and deliver connections reform and the delivery of key green energy and infrastructure projects.

“Customers who are developing new schemes across our network need to understand which connection points offer them the best chance to connect when they want, at the lowest cost.

“Our ClearViewConnect report provides this and is an important step to deliver insights about the profile of our connection pipelines, helping customers make informed decisions.

“We are also keen to work with the rest of the industry to share the learnings and model from this process, so that they can be easily replicated by individual DNOs as an offer to their customers.”

Steve McMahon, Ofgem interim director for network price controls, added: “This is a welcome step forward. Improving the transparency and consistency of data for network users is core to our Data Best Practice Guidance and we are pleased to see NGED making more data available to those seeking connections to their electricity networks.

“We encourage NGED, and all networks, to continue to work closely with their customers, and each other, to ensure that the provision of network and connections data across GB, for all parts of the system, is co-ordinated and responsive to stakeholder needs.”

Earlier this month, Ofgem approved new rules to kick out “zombie projects” which are not progressing, and stopping other shovel ready schemes from being built.

Under the reforms, as many as 144 stalled projects taking up valuable space in the transmission connection queue could be kicked out.

These so-called zombie projects account for around 29GW of the 45GW capacity due to connect by the end of 2025. National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) has commissioned engineering consultancy DNV to assess the feasibility of these schemes to meet their contracted connection date. If they are deemed unlikely to achieve this they will be pushed back in the queue – or in the ESO’s words “terminated”.

For contracts seeking connection after 2025 new milestones will be set to ensure projects are on track and not holding up the queue. These include pre-construction targets such as securing land rights and planning permission followed by key points of the actual build, including submitting design works and setting out a construction plan.

The new milestones will be implemented from 27 November, with the first terminations likely to happen as early as 2024.

The ESO has estimated that Britain needs between 164GW-186GW of transmission connected generation by 2035, with 83GW already plugged in. The total transmission grid connections queue, including projects with a connection date beyond 2025, has reached 400GW with a further 100GW waiting to connect at distribution level. ESO figures show that only 30-40% of projects within the connections queue currently go on to plug into the grid.

A new report published by the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) concludes that “delays in obtaining new or upgraded electricity grid connections [is] one of the major barriers to decarbonisation”.

The report – based on evidence from 26 companies located across the largest UK industrial clusters – warns that “such delays are set to increase costs, as well as risk critical investment and lost opportunities to tackle industrial emissions”.

Chris Williams, chair of the IDRIC Stakeholder Group, said: “The initial evidence gathered by this IDRIC survey is of real concern to the UK’s ambition to be net zero and could put UK jobs at risk. The results show that no matter which decarbonisation technology our industries choose, be it electrification, hydrogen or CCUS, any of these pathways may be hampered by grid connection issues.

“The survey has started to collate and capture the evidence needed for the UK government to understand the real problems industries are facing now, let alone in the future, and take policy actions needed to support and grow our industries through their just transition to net zero.”