Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution has launched a draft of its Operational Decision-Making (ODM) Framework and opened it up to stakeholder consultation.
The framework lays out how SSEN Distribution can dispatch distributed energy resources—any asset that can generate or store electricity—to meet short-term capacity needs, such as in the event of an interconnector failure or extreme weather. The document also outlines processes for risk management for flexibility shortfall and the way in which outages can be managed.
According to SSEN Distribution, this document marks the first time that a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) has published such information about their operational processes for flexibility services.
The report also describes specific details for how battery energy storage system (BESS) assets can be utilised in the event of capacity shortfall; the importance of BESS assets for the UK’s energy security recently came into sharp focus after an interconnector failure suddenly halted 1.4GW of electricity entering the UK.
SSEN Distribution has now opened a consultation for stakeholders on the latest updates to its framework, which will remain open until 2 December. The final version of the ODM Framework is set to be released in March of next year.
Gavin Stewart, flexible solutions manager at SSEN Distribution, said: “We’re publishing this draft of our latest Operational Decision-Making Framework with a clear-eyed vision for what we need to deliver, and what people need from it. Hard work on previous frameworks has established our leadership in this field, and we’re now seeking to build upon this with our assessments of flexibility shortfall management. We’ve drafted this latest document, considering the areas our stakeholders expect us to; their feedback thus far has been both illuminating and constructive.”
SSEN continues to innovate
SSEN has been the recipient of Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) grants from the UK’s energy regulator Ofgem on several occasions in recent months.
Last month, SSEN was awarded £1 million from the SIF for two of its projects, SeaChange and Nature4Networks. SeaChange seeks to develop a tool for the UK’s shipping industry to plan the most viable route to decarbonisation, as well as predict the energy load from UK ports. Meanwhile, Nature4Networks seeks to understand how nature-based solutions, such as increased hedgerow planting, can help protect network infrastructure against the increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change.
In September, SSEN announced that it would begin publishing a series of Strategic Development Plans for its licence areas around the UK. These plans lay out how the DNO will evolve to meet predicted demand growth as renewable energy generation continues to rise.
