Great Britain’s first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan

The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments have commissioned the newly-formed National Energy System Operator (NESO) to develop what will be Great Britain’s first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). This major component of the UK’s energy transition strategy will suggest how to best spread new energy projects across England, Scotland and Wales in a way that takes into account other sectors, such as transport and water supply, as well as the environment. ‘This wide-angle lens will speed up project delivery and reduce overall system costs, which could in turn bring down bills for consumers,’ says the UK government.

The SSEP will consider technical, economic and environmental factors, while also engaging with communities and stakeholders. Its first iteration is expected to be published in 2026, with a focus on electricity generation and storage, from offshore wind farms to pumped storage hydro, as well as hydrogen assets.

UK Minister for Energy Michael Shanks comments: ‘To help drive growth and investment in our clean energy future, we need to provide investors with the long-term certainty and stability that they have been crying out for. That’s why we need a more strategic approach to our energy system, ensuring we can quickly scale up investment in the right infrastructure where we need it, to keep costs down and speed up our transition to clean power. Delivering the country’s first ever spatial plan will be a major milestone for our new public energy body [NESO].’

Kayte O’Neill, NESO’s Chief Operating Officer, adds: ‘By setting out pathway options, engaging across government, the regulator, wider industry, interested parties and with communities, as well as exploring the needs at a more zonal and regional level, we can then identify where and what type of electricity and storage technologies we need to meet our future demand and decarbonisation ambitions.’

UK government confirms latest reforms to renewables auction process

Alongside the SSEP, the UK government announced the latest reforms to the contracts for difference (CfD) auction scheme will support the ‘repowering’ of onshore wind projects. Operators will now be able to bid for financial support to modernise and replace turbines that are approaching the end of their operational lives, defined as 25 years, while they are still operating. The aim is to minimise the period that sites will not be generating power.

The government has also confirmed that phased CfD contracts will be extended beyond fixed-based offshore wind projects to floating offshore wind (FLOW) farms, offering developers the flexibility to build in stages and deliver projects more cost-effectively.

The updated CfD policy will be in place for Allocation Round 7, set to begin in 2025.

RenewableUK’s Head of Strategic Communications Nathan Bennett said that the inclusion of repowering onshore wind projects will help the UK retain vital wind capacity and take advantage of more efficient, modern turbines.  

While also praising the decision to extend the policy of phased CfDs for FLOW projects, Bennett adds: ‘We also need to see reforms which will bring forward the next round of test and development projects as soon as possible. These projects should be used to encourage the development of UK supply chains in floating wind, enabling us to scale up and deliver floating wind faster in the coming years.’

Enhancing grid stability with interoperable smart devices

Meanwhile, a new initiative is looking to improve UK grid stability through the deployment of advanced demand-side response (DSR) technologies. Quality assurance company Resillion has launched a DSR demonstrator project at the University of Strathclyde’s PNDC whole energy systems research, test and demonstration facility in Glasgow, Scotland.  

The project aims to ‘showcase interoperability across ecosystems comprising multiple devices and applications, operating in environments representative of real-world conditions, to demonstrate how these technologies work together to optimise energy use and enhance demand management efficiency’.  

Scottish Power is providing real-world context and technical expertise. The other consortium partner is QualityLogic, which designs, develops and sells smart grid test tools, training, and support services.

The demonstrator project has received funding from the UK government’s £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

The initiative ‘goes beyond conformance testing of individual devices and applications against standards’, according to Resillion. Commenting on the project, Bill Chard, Energy Business Manager at Resillion, says: ‘Demand side response, and energy smart appliances, will be an important part of managing growing overall energy demand as the electrification of heat and transport grows over the coming years.’ Providing data that will indicate how real-world deployments will perform, the initiative will also inform the ongoing development of technology and policy in the energy sector, he adds.