Distribution network operator (DNO) UK Power Networks (UKPN) has received funding for four projects in the latest round of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF).
Four projects have been awarded discovery phase funding, each addressing a different problem facing the current electricity grid. The “Hot Chips” project will explore how waste heat from data centres can be used to support low-carbon, flexible heating while assessing how surplus heat can be used to improve the performance of heat pumps in homes situated near data centres.
The SHARED (Smart Hydrogen and Resilient Energy Delivery) project explores the use of low-cost hydrogen production as a tool to improve energy resilience in rural communities. By producing hydrogen during times where demand on the grid is low, the project will help to balance grids for both residential and major infrastructure needs.
The Conductor project will examine the potential of under-used electricity substations could be used to provide power to electric trains, and thus limit the need for time-consuming and costly grid network upgrades. For this project, third-party-owned large-scale battery storage will be installed at key points on the UK’s rail and electricity networks in an effort to reduce peak load on the grid and facilitate the export of surplus solar energy.
Finally, the Super DuPPR (Dual Purpose Power Reserves) project will explore how emergency backup power stored by operators such as BT can be safely shared with the grid while ensuring the system remains balanced. UKPN states that this project will show how using backup power in a smarter way can support the whole energy system.
Luca Grella, head of innovation at UK Power Networks, said that securing SIF funding for all of the projects is “a huge milestone” for the DNO. Grella added that the funding award is “ a testament to the strength of our innovative approach to tackling some of the UK’s most pressing energy challenges”, and that the projects will “build on our existing efforts to enable the transition to a low-carbon, more flexible energy system”.
The SIF is a collaboration between Ofgem and Innovate UK and provides funding to energy projects trying to speed the transition to clean energy through grid developments. The fund was launched in 2021 and is expected to invest £450 million into innovative projects by 2026. In August of last year, Ofgem announced that it would make changes to the SIF programme to streamline the funding process, and will now open three application windows each year instead of the previous single application window.
