A total of 25 projects are set to connect as soon as they can be built under a new fast-track scheme developed by UK Power Networks’ (UKPN’s) Distribution System Operator (DSO).
The connection offers have been enabled under a new programme called Technical Limits, which leverages the insights and data developed through its Distributed Energy Resource Management (DERMS) platform to connect more generation to the network.
Customers who have had connection offers accepted include a 98MW solar farm in the East of England and a 100MW combined storage and solar site in the South East.
These are among 14 projects in the East of England, totalling 465MW, and 11 schemes in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, totalling 371MW.
Sotiris Georgiopoulos, director of DSO at UK Power Networks, said: “We are taking real, tangible action to help our customers overcome the long-term challenges on the national transmission system, an approach that will ultimately get more green energy into more people’s homes and businesses.
“This is just another step on our journey, and it is only by cooperation and collaboration that we’re able to make such important strides towards achieving net zero.”
Giles Frampton, director at Evolution Power Limited, added: “Working closely with UK Power Networks, we have been able to bring forward a solar PV project’s connection date by four years, which will significantly contribute to the UK’s progress towards net zero and energy security.”
The Technical Limits programme, however, is not limited to UKPN’s customers and has recently made waves with the news that National Grid Electricity Transmission and fellow UK Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) have enabled the grid connection offer dates of over 200 clean energy projects to be brought forward.
Networks have sent offers to 203 projects totalling 7.8GW of capacity, more than double the output of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, with an average connection acceleration of 6.5 years.
393 projects are eligible for the programme in total, and a further 190 can receive accelerated offers once they have progressed through the connection offer process.
Wider context
Accelerating grid connections and finding a way to reduce the grid connection queue has been an ongoing process amongst UK energy industry members, as every sector is significantly affected.
According to the UK’s Electricity System Operator (ESO), since October 2022, the transmission connections queue has grown by more than 275GW and has been growing at an average of over 20GW a month for the last 12 months.
The total queue across transmission and distribution is likely to exceed 800GW by the end of 2024, over four times the installed capacity that ESO anticipates needing by 2050.
This is why ESO has proposed the ‘First Ready, First Connected’ approach for both new applications and projects that already exist in the queue.
ESO proposed a two-step process for new applications, with an annual application window to reach ‘Gate 1’ and “readiness” criteria to reach ‘Gate 2’. Only projects that meet the Gate 2 criteria will be provided with a queue position.
The long-term connection reforms were first announced in December 2023 and would have then only applied to new connection applications and significant Modification Applications received from January 2025 onwards.
Regulation watchdog Ofgem said in an open letter that it “welcomes the ESO’s proposal to move towards a ‘First Ready, First Connected’ approach” and “looks forward to overseeing how this develops through the upcoming formal industry code change process”.
Ofgem does suggest, however, that the reforms need to be developed alongside a full assessment of risks and benefits and a robust plan for regulatory and operational implementation.
