Two of our innovation projects, which are committed to cutting emissions in and around ports, and benefiting the resilience of the electricity network and natural habitats, have won new funding from the regulator Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Funding programme.
The two projects are called SeaChange, and Nature4Networks. Together, they have been awarded almost £1m. This sum will fund the development of the ideas within these projects, and plan for how they can be rolled out at scale.
These projects are both funded through the Strategic Innovation Fund, which is an Ofgem programme managed in partnership with Innovate UK.
SeaChange project
The shipping sector is a new, large electricity consumer, and the UK’s target of achieving zero-emissions shipping by 2050 will lead to a substantial increase in the demand for electricity across the maritime industry. The location of ports and harbours means they are found at the edges of the electricity grid, and this can pose challenges when it comes to getting the required power to where it’s needed.
SeaChange involves building a ‘Navigating Energy Transitions’ (NET) tool, which will help ports to plot their most viable pathways for decarbonisation. This tool will also give network operators like SSEN visibility of the predicted electrical load arising from ports, which is estimated to be as high as 4,000 GWh per year. This information will help inform appropriate network reinforcement planning.
This latest funding will also now enable the SeaChange project to assess the likely growth in electricity consumption in the areas surrounding ports, which are connected to its activities.
Gemma Ennis, who is the Project Manager for SeaChange at SSEN, says:
“The maritime sector is pivotal to trade, and vital to emerging industries such as offshore renewables. Ports also provide lifeline services to island communities, and this project will bring everyone together to navigate us towards a net-zero future.
“I’d like to thank our project partners, including those from Ricardo, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), and the Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) for their support, which has been invaluable in getting to this crucial stage. We’re also working closely with Portsmouth International Port in our central southern England licence area, supporting their own ambitions to reach net zero by the turn of the decade.”
Nature4Networks project
Electricity Distribution Networks are facing significant challenges from climate change, including flooding, higher temperatures, and more frequent storm-force winds. While the network can be physically reinforced through traditional methods like concrete flood defences and the installation of cooling systems, these are carbon-intensive and deliver limited benefits.
Nature4Networks considers alternative nature-based solutions which could deliver both the resilience required, along with greater sustainability and enhanced biodiversity.
ABOVE: The types of nature-based solution Nature4Networks is evaluating (Image from GHD)
The work so far on this project has confirmed that nature-based solutions have the potential to be a viable option for the energy industry. The funding for this new phase will enable the expansion of the initial feasibility studies to understand how these new solutions could be rolled out at scale and allow the development of ways of working with landowners to advance such solutions.
Dot Revill, who is the Project Manager for Nature4Networks at SSEN, says:
“SSEN is a leader in nature restoration in the areas we serve, and we’re committed to ensuring the continued resilience of our network in the face of a changing climate. What marks Nature4Networks out is the way it can help us combine both goals successfully.”
“This new funding will allow us to take the principles we’ve already established in the earlier phase and do the necessary work to plan for how we can put in place nature-based solutions at scale.”
“I’m grateful to our project partners at Frontier Economics and GHD for their support so far, and we’re looking forward to working with Scottish Power Transmission in this next phase.”