Western Power Distribution Launches IntraFlex With NODES And Smart Grid Consultancy

Building on the success of its current procurement of flexibility services, Western Power Distribution has launched IntraFlex, a new innovation project with NODES and Smart Grid Consultancy.

The Network Innovation Allowance funded project will look to deploy the NODES platform in the UK and create new, closer to real time, flexibility market for the Distribution Network Operator. This will allow for providers to offer flexibility in the day-ahead and intra-day timeframes with a number of features developed to ensure that any actions do not create imbalance in the wider electricity market.

Operating closer to real time should allow new participants to access the markets whilst key features such as a day ahead information services as well as an auto-rebalancing function to the intra-day market will look to lower supplier exposure to imbalance costs and decrease the costs of providing flexibility in the long run.

The project will utilise a market platform designed and operated by NODES. This has been piloted in other European trial and will be extended by NODES as part of the project to add imbalance mitigation features.

The trial will be supported by Smart Grid Consultancy who will provide project management skills, technical expertise and on the ground recruitment know how.

The trial start with stakeholder engagement aimed at validating the market design and ensuring its value to the UK electricity system.

“This trial will help us to better understand the impact that calling flexibility will have on energy suppliers when we establish a flexibility market that operates close to real-time. Utilising the NODES platform will allow for new flexibility providers to offer their services confidently in the market” says Ben Godfrey, Network Strategy Manager, WPD

“NODES is excited for this opportunity to team up with WPD to align its innovative integrated market design for the GB market and we are looking forward to engaging with relevant stakeholders going forward”. Says Enno Böttcher, CEO of NODES.

“Now that Flexibility is moving towards ‘business as usual’ there is a risk of increased volumes that may impact the wider market. So we see this trial as a challenging but vital body of work to ensure that the expansion of flexibility markets does not negatively impact or distort the wider industry.” Says Gary Swandells, Director Smart Grid Consultancy.