Electricity North West is the first distribution network operator to tender for an end-to-end flexible services procurement, availability declaration, baselining, dispatch, and settlement platform.
The platform will support the flexible service process whilst helping to manage demand and reduce costs for customers.
The initiative marks a significant milestone in the company's commitment to neutral market facilitation, supporting the ongoing transition to a sustainable and resilient energy landscape.
Lois Clark, Electricity North West’s DSO commercial lead, said: "As we move towards a more sustainable future, the uptake of low carbon technologies like electric vehicles and heat pumps will continue to rise, ultimately resulting in a lot more demand being placed on our network.
“One way to prevent expensive network reinforcement costs from being passed on to customers is through the procurement of flexible services
“Our goal is to find a platform that guarantees efficient spending of our customers' money and adheres to the best practices of platform services.
“This will enable us to maintain a balance between supply and demand, lower the cost of electricity distribution, and contribute towards decarbonisation. At the same time, we want to ensure that our network remains robust, reliable, and responsive to the needs of customers.”
The flexible services platform will be used to manage a range of flexible services, including demand response, distributed generation and energy storage connected to the company’s network that can increase exports (generate more) or reduce imports (consume less) when instructed.
The network operator is seeking providers who can offer a platform that is simple to use, reliable and secure. Fostering seamless data flow and interactions, the platform will incorporate an Application Programming Interface (API) option, allowing both Electricity North West and participants to input and receive data effortlessly.
Lois Clark added: "We are thrilled to invite innovators and technology leaders to be part of this journey. The platform will not only advance our capacity to balance supply and demand effectively but will also play a vital role in ensuring a sustainable energy future for our communities."
The tender is open to all interested parties via the Achilles procurement system. For more information, please email flexible.contracts@enwl.co.uk.
