UK Power Networks has launched its largest ever tender for flexibility services.

After offering contracts at 28 sites last year, it is now offering 115 sites with a total capacity of 170MW. It includes 55 high voltage sites, and the UK’s first 60 low voltage sites. It is making £24 million worth of flexible services available,

The newly-released ‘heatmap’ of all sites, available now on the online platform Piclo. The map invites tender submissions for UK Power Networks’ 2019/20 procurement programme by March 2020, with results set to be announced later in spring 2020.

The company has launched a  new Smart Grid website, which includes an online ‘flexibility hub’ to make it easier for customers to find out about the process.

UK Power Networks has committed to a  ‘Flexibility First’ approach to cater for new connections. In March this year it awarded flexibility contracts to four companies worth more than £450,000 for 43MW of power cumulative up to 2023.

Head of smart grid development Sotiris Georgiopoulos said: “This week’s tender release for 2020, our biggest ever, shows we are pushing the boundaries to create these benefits for customers. That is why it extends the reach to 170MW total capacity, including the UK’s first 60 low voltage zones.”

Bids in the tender will have to meet robust economic criteria to ensure they will benefit customers, by offering lower costs in comparison to the traditional approach of building new assets. Further updates on the tender process are due to be released online in December.

Further reading

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