What are Interconnectors, and what importance do they have for Britain?

An Interconnector is a high-voltage cable that allows electricity to be transferred from one country to another. The cables can run either under the sea, underground or as part of an overhead line. Great Britain has a number of individual Interconnectors with other countries currently in operation, with a combined capacity of 5GW: Capacity Name

Active Network Management (ANM)

Active Network Management (ANM) is a system that allows network operators to control and alter the output of generators connected to their network. An ANM system generally consists of three pieces of hardware: a central ‘brain’ that sits in the network operators control room and has the ability to send instructions to generators to change

Battery Storage

Battery Storage is viewed by many as a key enabler of achieving our Net Zero targets. A battery’s ability to charge (i.e. store electricity) and discharge (release electricity when most required) provides essential flexibility to our network. Not only can batteries compliment the intermittent nature of renewable generation, they can also provide key network services,

DSO Flexibility Tenders

As covered in a previous blog (LINK), Distribution Network Operators (DNO) are evolving into Distribution System Operators (DSO). The most prominent part of this transition is the publication of Flexibility Tenders by the DSO’s. In 2018, Distribution companies made a commitment to consider flexibility services as an alternative to installing new/improving existing network infrastructure[1]. Since

Nuclear Power Stations

There are eight operational Nuclear power stations in the UK, with a combined capacity of 9.2GW (Source: National Grid TEC Register 27th August 2020). All the sites are owned by EDF. The Nuclear plants produced 56.2TWh of electricity in 2019, equating to roughly 17% of total production[1]. Nuclear plants tend to run continuously (Baseload –

What is my Electricity Bill made up of?

What is my Electricity Bill made up of? Consumer electricity bills are always a hot topic of conversation. There is a general misunderstanding or lack of knowledge over what makes up our personal energy bills. The average electricity bill in the UK is roughly £612[1]. The below table highlights the different areas and associated %

Company Profile – Ofgem

Ofgem (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) are the regulators for the electricity and downstream natural gas markets in Great Britain. Ofgem are a UK government department, however, they are an independent regulator and act without government say or supervision. Ofgem’s main aim is to protect consumers. They do this by enabling market competition,

Offshore Wind in the UK

Current Level There are currently 9.5GW of operational Offshore Windfarms in the UK with a further 1.3GW under construction (Source: National Grid TEC Register 1st October 2020). The UK has the largest Offshore Wind capacity in the world, accounting for roughly 25% of all installations and upcoming projects (Renewable UK). In Europe, the UK installed

Why are energy suppliers going out of business?

Market Overview Historically in Great Britain, the ‘Big Six’ have dominated the retail electricity market (British Gas, Npower, Scottish Power, SSE, EDF and E.ON). Small suppliers have disrupted this dominance in recent years,  with the market share of the ‘Big Six’ falling from virtually 100% in 2011 to 73% in Q1 2020[1] (accounting for OVO’s

How does electricity get traded?

How does electricity get traded? The wholesale electricity market is where generators and suppliers buy and sell electricity. Suppliers wish to purchase enough electricity to meet the demand of their customers. Generators can sell the electricity produced by their power stations on the wholesale market. The trades can be completed on an exchange (ICE and