The Energy Networks Association (ENA) and Ofgem have called on UK industries to support low carbon innovation in a bid to accelerate net zero ambitions.
This call will be realised within the Energy Innovation Basecamp – part of a future work programme aiming to support technologies in order to build a net zero energy network by 2035. The event is set to take place on 28 February 2023.
The full-day event will explore the challenges facing the UK’s gas and electricity networks and the solutions being delivered to tackle all aspects of the energy trilemma.
These themes include date and digitalisation, flexibility and market evolution, net zero and energy system transition, optimised assets and practices, supporting consumers in vulnerable situations and the whole energy system transition.
“The UK is an international hub for innovation, and we want to draw on the tremendous creativity and originality of our most ambitious innovators to overcome these challenges – whatever sector they come from,” said Dan Clarke, head of innovation at ENA.
“We are looking for innovators from the worlds of business, the public sector, energy suppliers, energy generators, large energy users, consumer representative groups and the wider world to get involved.
“The event marks the start of the chance to create some truly bold blueprints – it doesn’t get more important or exciting than the projects that will emerge from these discussions.”
The ENA said that, at the event, innovators from around the country will be able to test their initial ideas and collaboratively shape ‘problem statements’ that will direct the future work programme. The insight gathered from this will then be used to shape the future of the technologies and how they address certain problems. These can then be submitted for review.
“The path to Net Zero is the way out of our current reliance on expensive, imported, harmful fossil fuels. We are doing everything we can to enable the transition to a cleaner, greener energy system. That includes ensuring maximum innovation from the energy industry to get there,” said Akshay Kaul, interim director of infrastructure and security of supply at Ofgem.
“This programme is an exciting opportunity to gather together the most creative thinkers in the world of innovation and challenge them to solve some of the most pressing problems in the journey to net zero.”
The ENA recently published the End of Year Review for its Open Networks programme, detailing the progress of the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan which, the association said, could grant consumers energy cost savings of £10 billion a year by 2050.
