To develop the powerful ITER Neutral Beam Injectors (NBIs) a test facility has been set up in Padua, Northern Italy, counting on the contributions of Fusion for Energy (F4E), ITER Organization (IO), India, Japan, and Consorzio RFX. Together they have agreed to collaborate on two major experiments which will help
Sizewell C is increasing the number of apprentices it is aiming to employ from 1,000 to 1,500. A range of opportunities from conventional to degree level apprenticeships will be offered if construction of the new nuclear power station goes ahead. Apprentices will be trained in a wide variety of
60MW energy centre & district heating network receives planning permission Waste heat from the nearby North London Waste Authority (NLWA) Energy Recovery Facility is set to be used to heat homes and businesses in the London Borough of Enfield after Enfield Council approved planning permission for a new 60MW low-carbon
A project worth almost £17million is underway to help provide extra power to thousands of homes and businesses in White City and the surrounding areas. UK Power Networks is working in partnership with contractors to reinforce the power supplies in and around White City – ensuring that the lights remain
Fife’s energy infrastructure could make the region an important hub in the development of the UK’s hydrogen economy, according to award-winning research by our Energy Futures team. The East Neuk Power-to-Hydrogen project, which won Cross-Vector Project of the Year at the 2020 Network Awards, found that with its rich renewables resource
As governments across the UK and Ireland manage regional lockdowns, ease restrictions with more people returning to the workplace, and consider the possibility of a resurgence of COVID-19, Energy Networks Association and Energy UK members have reaffirmed their commitments to protect those most in need, keep colleagues and customers safe
The electricity grid is undergoing its first evolution since the invention of the power transmission system, and energy storage devices, particularly mechanical energy storage devices, will play a solid role in this evolution. Decarbonization, renewable energies, and energy storage devices are all factors involved in the current evolution of the
A £4million investment scheme has begun to rebuild parts of Derby’s electricity network in response to an anticipated surge in demand. The work will involve laying 7km of new underground cable and a complete rebuild of Mackworth’s primary substation. The project is needed to replace ageing equipment – some of
First new design for pylon in nearly 100 years 116 new T-pylons along 57km route from Hinkley to Seabank, which will connect six million homes and businesses to low carbon energy At the end of July 2021 – the first T-pylon on National Grid’s Hinkley Connection is due to be constructed. It
A pioneering smart renewable heating scheme in Oxford, part of the £41m Energy Superhub Oxford project, has been given the green light to proceed following lockdown disruption, providing a confidence boost for the construction and renewables industries as they rise to covid-19 operational challenges, and a positive step towards the UK defining
To develop the powerful ITER Neutral Beam Injectors (NBIs) a test facility has been set up in Padua, Northern Italy, counting on the contributions of Fusion for Energy (F4E), ITER Organization (IO), India, Japan, and Consorzio RFX. Together they have agreed to collaborate on two major experiments which will help us get closer to fusion energy. Scientists will have the opportunity to run tests using SPIDER and MITICA in order to acquire new know-how. Subsequently, the parties involved will proceed with the fabrication of the “real” components that will be used in ITER. Europe being the host of the ITER experiment is also one of the parties with significant involvement in the Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF). It has been financially contributing to its construction and the manufacturing of components. In terms of Research & Development (R&D), F4E has invested approximately 30 million EUR for the period 2012-2019 and roughly 100 million EUR for production of components. Converting the NBTF into a centre of excellence for future research in fusion is of strategic importance for Europe. Much will depend on access of know-how and expertise to harness fusion, the energy of Sun. The components of SPIDER, the most powerful negative ion source in the world, and those of MITICA, the real-size NBI, will need to be cooled down. The function of the water cooling plant will be to remove the deposited thermal power, up to a total of about 70 MW, for 3600 seconds. The cooling plant consists of the following main units: a specific system for each of the two experiments, and a common system which they share to release the thermal energy removed from the components. F4E, in close collaboration with Delta Ti Impianti, the company responsible for its production (from design to commissioning), has successfully completed the works. After eight years the system has been handed over to ITER Organization on 28 May. The pipes which extend to around 5500 m crosscut the entire Neutral Beam Test Facility. In some areas the pipes follow a neat pattern almost like tapestry covering the walls. In other parts of the building, the pipes resemble to a labyrinth made of steel full of twists and turns. This is the result of about 500 deliverable documents, reviews and inspections, contract amendments and successful negotiations. A team of engineers, quality assurance experts, lawyers, procurement officers have been working together for years to complete this project. We spoke to some of the engineers involved in the project to understand the challenges they faced during the lifecycle of the project. Vincent Pilard, F4E Technical Officer who has been closely following the contract, offers some background. “One of the main difficulties we faced designing the cooling plant was the fact that the building was not constructed. We had to imagine the space distribution, walls and partitions to project the installation of the pipes and of equipment. Our design had to adapt to the civil engineering works and eventually fine-tune all inputs so that our supplier could start manufacturing. There were also some key technical details that we had to take into consideration. For example, we need to use water with very low electrical conductivity in order to avoid impurities in the system. Therefore, we had to make provisions for a chemical control unit to filter the activated corrosion products.” Andrea Garbuglia, F4E on-site supervisor, elaborates on the complexity of the cooling plant.” The system has a thermal power of 70 MW, more than 5.5 km of piping, at least 2000 sensors/instruments installed, 10 primary circuits and more than 20 components to be cooled. The most challenging part, in terms of Health & Safety, logistics and technical coordination, has been the installation, and testing, of the MITICA cooling plant carried out in parallel with the SPIDER experiment in operation. In terms of construction, we have counted more than 6000 person days for the plant erection without any accident in six years putting safety first. The valuable contributions of Consorzio RFX, Delta-Ti Impianti and the F4E Neutral Beam cooling team have made this possible.” Giorgio Biginelli, CEO of Delta-Ti Impianti, shares some thoughts on their involvement in this project. “The cooling plant of the ITER NBTF was for us a great opportunity to showcase reliability, competence and innovation. Being part of a global R&D project, on which the future of humanity’s energy will depend on the coming centuries, has given constant motivation to our workforce. The spirit of collaboration with F4E and Consorzio RFX helped us to complete successfully the work. We have acquired important know-how, fundamental to creating synergies with other projects such as ITER, laboratories such as CERN, with which we already cooperate, and others we hope to be able to cooperate with such as DTT.” “The NBTF cooling plant is one of the prerequisites for the start of MITICA’s operation. The plant has already demonstrated its conformity to the cooling needs of ongoing SPIDER experiments. During the construction of this plant, the supplier, F4E, Consorzio RFX and ITER Organizaion have worked together successfully to overcome the difficulties that have been posed by the complexity of the size and the number of parties involved. The NBTF cooling plant is now ready to be used in its full capacity,” explains Chandramouli Rotti, ITER Organization Section Leader of the Neutral Beam Section “During the finalisation of the ITER NBTF cooling plant, a fruitful and strong cooperation was established between IO, F4E, Consorzio RFX and the industry. This equipment is essential for the operation of both SPIDER and MITICA. A continuous and intense effort has been put by all the parties during the lifecycle of the project- from conceptual design till final acceptance tests. In May 2018 the successful delivery of the first units of the cooling plant made it possible for the SPIDER experiments to begin. In September the entire cooling system will be fully operational to go ahead with MITICA experiments,” says Dr. Eng. Pierluigi Zaccaria – Project Leader for NBTF Thermomechanical plants and components.
Sizewell C is increasing the number of apprentices it is aiming to employ from 1,000 to 1,500. A range of opportunities from conventional to degree level apprenticeships will be offered if construction of the new nuclear power station goes ahead. Apprentices will be trained in a wide variety of construction and mechanical roles including degree-level engineering, digital engineering, welding, project management, and steel-fixing. There will also be apprenticeships in many site support services including operations management, logistics, environment, health and safety, security, and accountancy. Sizewell C is the low carbon nuclear power station being proposed for Suffolk to help the UK reach net zero emissions by 2050. The application to build Sizewell C is currently being considered by the Planning Inspectorate. The new apprentices target follows the success in training people of all ages at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. Four years into construction, more than 650 apprentices have already worked on over fifty different training programmes linked to the project. The majority of apprentices have come from the local area. In addition, changes to Government guidance mean companies are allowed greater flexibility in the training they can give through apprenticeship schemes. Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, Managing Director, Sizewell C said: “The progress being made at Hinkley Point C has given us the confidence to announce a significantly higher target for apprentices. Sizewell C will create thousands of jobs and training opportunities in the East of England and across the UK’s nuclear supply chain. Together with our suppliers, we are determined to help people who work for us get good qualifications and build long-term, well-paid careers.” Cameron Gilmour, Vice President Nuclear, Doosan Babcock, and Chairman of the Sizewell C Consortium said: “Not every school-leaver wants to go to university and apprenticeships are a great way to learn on the job. This announcement demonstrates the huge potential of Sizewell C to transform the lives of young people by offering them paid training and a great career.” Gail Cartmail, Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union said: “Sizewell will be the catalyst for providing young people, particularly those living in East Anglia, with skills for life and it will provide a huge boost to the local economy. It is imperative that the government not only gives the green light to the Sizewell C development but provides direct assistance to ensure that this project begins as early as possible, so that these commitments on apprentices can start to be achieved as soon as possible and the experience of building Hinkley Point can be fully utilised.” Last month saw the launch of the Young Sizewell C scheme, which is designed to introduce 16-21-year olds living in Suffolk and Norfolk to some of the jobs the project could offer. Young Sizewell C and a future Jobs Service will be used to identify as many opportunities as possible for young people living in the east of England. Sizewell C is also exploring ways to provide further training and employment opportunities by transferring EDF apprenticeship levy to other east of England businesses. While many of the apprentices will be based on or close to the construction site in Suffolk, others will have the opportunity to work with suppliers in different parts of the UK.
60MW energy centre & district heating network receives planning permission Waste heat from the nearby North London Waste Authority (NLWA) Energy Recovery Facility is set to be used to heat homes and businesses in the London Borough of Enfield after Enfield Council approved planning permission for a new 60MW low-carbon energy centre and district heating network. Energetik employed Vital Energi to submit the planning permission for the Energy Centre, which is located at Advent Way. Customers of the new very low carbon energy scheme will include the 82-hectare Meridian Water development which will include 10,000 homes, a new train station, workplaces and open spaces. The energy centre will connect to the NLWA Energy Recovery Facility once complete in 2026, taking waste heat and distributing it to customers through a highly insulated network of underground district heating pipes. The proposed development is located within the Eco Park operated by London Energy Limited (LEL), and in addition to assisting with the planning process, Vital Energi will build the energy centre and heat network. Vital Energi will then provide operation and maintenance on the network and energy centre for a 10-year period. Rob Callaghan, Regional Director for Vital Energi commented, “The scale of this project makes it a hugely important opportunity for Enfield to lower their CO2 emissions. By harnessing waste heat from the nearby waste to energy plant, thousands of homes and businesses will be heated in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.” “This is an innovative scheme and we are delighted to have the opportunity to help Energetik with their planning application and look forward to the construction and operation phases of the project.” In addition to the heat taken from the NLWA, the energy centre will include two 25m high thermal stores, each holding 1,693,000 litres of hot water plus, for resilience and back up, six 10MW boilers installed across three phases. This will provide a highly resilient heating network, ensuring reliable heat and hot water at all times to Energetik’s customers. Vital Energi submitted the planning application on behalf of Energetik and employed Stewart Stephenson Architects and structural engineers Buro Happold as part of the professional team. Work is scheduled to begin in January 2021 with completion expected in November 2022.
A project worth almost £17million is underway to help provide extra power to thousands of homes and businesses in White City and the surrounding areas. UK Power Networks is working in partnership with contractors to reinforce the power supplies in and around White City – ensuring that the lights remain on for all. The project, known as the Wood Lane main substation construction, allows for the construction of a new extra-high voltage electricity substation that will provide additional power to customers such as Imperial College London and resilience to all customers in the surrounding area. This work acts as part of a wider strategy for the area to provide homes and jobs. The project being carried out by UK Power Networks started in March 2019 is due to finish in summer 2021. As part of the scheme, UK Power Networks has consulted local stakeholders and other interested parties to ensure that everyone experiences as little disruption as possible whilst the work takes place. Jason Gunning, project manager at UK Power Networks, said: “UK Power Networks is making sure the electricity network is fit and flexible for the future. “Thousands of people in the area rely on us for a safe, efficient and reliable electricity supp. This work represents further growth in our network capacity to meet the increasing demand. This upgrade is part of our ongoing investment in the network to maintain reliable power supplies.” UK Power Networks is the country’s largest electricity distribution network. It works to maintain the safety and reliability of electricity networks, in addition to upgrading the network to meet the future needs of customers. The project is being completed in conjunction with contractors under its award-winning alliance scheme. The electricity company keeps the lights on for more than eight million homes, schools, hospitals and businesses across London, the South East and East of England. The company invests more than £600 million annually in maintaining and improving electricity networks. The majority of London’s electricity infrastructure is underground, including over 36,000 kilometres of cabling. Techniques for saving costs can be found at pay as you go electricity sites.
Fife’s energy infrastructure could make the region an important hub in the development of the UK’s hydrogen economy, according to award-winning research by our Energy Futures team. The East Neuk Power-to-Hydrogen project, which won Cross-Vector Project of the Year at the 2020 Network Awards, found that with its rich renewables resource and extensive electricity and gas networks, the East Neuk could become the ideal base for trials involving power-to-hydrogen: the process of turning electricity into hydrogen through electrolysis. This clean gas can then be used in place of natural gas for zero-carbon heating and transport fuel. The study, carried out alongside project partners Scottish Power Energy Networks, Artelys and E4Tech, explored the feasibility of producing green gas using excess clean energy, and found that low-cost, low-carbon power could underpin the area’s transition to a green energy hub, affording benefits across the whole energy system. The study also concluded that using renewable energy dedicated to hydrogen production can drive larger scale hydrogen production and deployment, create new capacity and reduce the need for power network upgrades. Analysis found that large-scale offshore renewables deployment off the coast of Fife is limited by the capacity and cost of connection into the area’s electricity network. The offshore production of hydrogen could be a cheaper alternative to onshore production, and could support the whole energy system.Media library image The project’s final report, Decarbonising the UK’s Gas Network: Realising the Power-to-Hydrogen Opportunity in the East Neuk, also makes a number of recommendations to accelerate the deployment of power-to-hydrogen projects, including changes to the Gas Safety Management Regulations, new subsidies and market frameworks to incentivise hydrogen uptake, and financial support for demonstration projects. “We need to accelerate low-carbon energy generation significantly if we’re to meet the Net Zero emissions targets set by the UK and Scottish Governments,” says Angus McIntosh, our Director of Energy Futures. “Green hydrogen produced by renewables presents exciting opportunities for decarbonisation, and as an energy carrier can be stored in multiple ways to be used across applications like transport, heating and industry. Fife’s advantageous energy supply and infrastructure present a positive picture, and in the East Neuk we have a tremendous opportunity to develop power-to-hydrogen solutions.” Our pioneering H100 Fife project aims to develop a world-first hydrogen-to-homes heating system using clean offshore wind power in Levenmouth. The Scottish Government has committed £6.9m to the programme in its Programme for Government, and construction could begin as early as 2021 if proposals are approved by energy regulator Ofgem. Download the project report…..
As governments across the UK and Ireland manage regional lockdowns, ease restrictions with more people returning to the workplace, and consider the possibility of a resurgence of COVID-19, Energy Networks Association and Energy UK members have reaffirmed their commitments to protect those most in need, keep colleagues and customers safe and their energy flowing. From the outset of the pandemic, companies across the energy industry have implemented safe working practices in consultation with colleagues, contractors, and trades unions. As the governments’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic develops, companies and unions are continuing to keep their approach under careful watch and carry out regular reviews of their practices to make sure they operate as safely as possible. Energy companies will always take an approach which safeguards the health and well-being of their customers and colleagues, while maintaining a safe and reliable supply of energy. As lockdown restrictions ease in many parts of the country, companies and unions are mindful of the possibility of more local lockdowns and a resurgence that will require continued vigilance. They continue to take appropriate safety measures, including: Revising and implementing procedures based on our joint learning from experience gained since the start of the pandemic. Continuing to ensure any new or revised procedures provide customers with the best possible service Working with the National HESAC and across the whole energy industry to pre-empt and prepare for any potential spikes in infections to ensure that colleagues and the public have confidence that the essential services they rely on will continue to be provided safely. Reviewing existing COVID-19 risk assessments with trades union health and safety representatives. Any changes to the assessments will be shared with energy industry and contractors, demonstrating transparency and ensuring they are easily accessible. David Smith, Chief Executive of Energy Networks Association, which represents the UK and Ireland’s energy networks businesses, said: “The energy networks continue to put colleagues and customers at the heart of their COVID-19 response. We are constantly reviewing our plans to make sure we continue to provide the best possible service, especially to those who need extra help. We will carry on working with our colleagues and trades unions to keep people safe, protect those most in need and keep your energy flowing.” Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of Energy UK said: “At the start of the pandemic our members responded quickly to make sure customers were supported and that we kept the lights on, maintaining the highest standards of health and safety in unprecedented circumstances while protecting the welfare of staff and customers. The experience gained over the last few months will help the industry rise to any future challenges and our sector will continue to work with staff and union representatives to protect essential energy workers and the customers they serve.” Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect said: “By working together and focusing on detailed changes to make work COVID-secure, the companies and unions have ensured that we have maintained high safety standards and service to customers. Trade union safety representatives have played a key role and their work will be even more vital during the challenging times ahead.”
The electricity grid is undergoing its first evolution since the invention of the power transmission system, and energy storage devices, particularly mechanical energy storage devices, will play a solid role in this evolution. Decarbonization, renewable energies, and energy storage devices are all factors involved in the current evolution of the electricity grid. In the last decades the integration of renewable energies, pushed by the necessity to decarbonize the electricity sector, led energy storage devices to become increasingly important to stabilize the electricity grid. The increased adoption of variable renewable energy led the electricity grid operator to adopt energy storage systems to smoothen the variability of renewable sources. Li-ion batteries, currently dominating the storage sectors in all of its aspects. From portable electronics to MW scale storage systems, Li-ion batteries will struggle in the future to address the MW scale power and daily storage duration, when Mechanical Energy Storage systems will enter the market. Power and storage compacity comparison of different technologies. Source: IDTechEx In the brand-new report “Potential Stationary Energy Storage Technologies to Monitor”, IDTechEx has investigated these emerging technologies. With a simple working mechanism, Mechanical Energy Storage systems are addressing the bigger spectrum of the energy storage devices: large power output, and long storage time. This new class of storage systems includes older and newer technologies. It includes elderly technologies like compressed air energy storage, already installed in the 1980s, and some of the younger gravitational energy storage, like in the case of Highview Energy, and Energy Vault recently backed with millions of dollars. These interesting devices are now entering the electricity market with demonstration projects, to prove the technical concept. The constant integration of variable energy sources will require additional storage devices to stabilize the electricity grid, where the Mechanical Energy Storage device could play a fundamental role. Electricity is an essential element of modern society, and reaching a stable electricity grid is a fundamental target to improve the economy of each and every country. The adoption of these innovative devices will surge in the next future, allowing an improvement of the electricity grid, and boosting the integration of variable energy source. For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/PotentialSES or for the full portfolio of Energy Storage research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/research/ES. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.
A £4million investment scheme has begun to rebuild parts of Derby’s electricity network in response to an anticipated surge in demand. The work will involve laying 7km of new underground cable and a complete rebuild of Mackworth’s primary substation. The project is needed to replace ageing equipment – some of which has been in place for more than 50 years – and to meet an expected growth in demand for electricity, as a result of new developments in and around Mackworth. It will benefit around 100,000 customers. The first part of the job will be to lay 3.75km of new cable from Derby to Mackworth. Work is expected to take up to six months and will begin in the city centre, before moving out towards the A38. There will be some road closures as a result of the scheme. Paul Squires, WPD Engineering Specialist based at Derby, said: “This is a huge investment for the people of Derby which will enable us to meet their electricity needs for decades to come. This takes into account the changes to electricity use that will arise from an anticipated switch to electric vehicles and other low carbon technologies. “We have worked closely with the local authority to plan the work and to keep disruption to a minimum. We will also be working 10 hour days and at weekends to complete the work as quickly as possible. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during this essential project.” All WPD staff will be observing strict social distancing and hygiene regulations while working on site, to protect themselves and customers during the coronavirus pandemic. The roads affected will be Sowter Road, St Marys Gate, Cathedral Road, Queens Street, Jury Street ,Willow Row,St Alkmunds Way, Agard Street, Bridge Street, Friargate, Vernon Street, South Street, Uttoxeter Old Road, Stepping Lane, Hanford Street, Stanley Street, Morley Street, Napier Street, Mackenzie Street, Lyttleton Street and Greenwich Drive South. There will be some rolling road closures on Stepping Lane, Handford Street, Stanley St, Napier Street and Mackenzie Street with short diversions in place, along with some temporary parking restrictions. Temporary traffic signals will be used on some of the larger streets.
First new design for pylon in nearly 100 years 116 new T-pylons along 57km route from Hinkley to Seabank, which will connect six million homes and businesses to low carbon energy At the end of July 2021 – the first T-pylon on National Grid’s Hinkley Connection is due to be constructed. It will be one of 116 T-pylons* along the 57km route, which will connect low carbon energy from EDF’s Hinkley Point C power station to six million UK homes and businesses. It will also allow for more capacity on the network for renewable energy from the South West peninsular. Once energised, they will be the UK’s first operational T-pylons and the first new design for a UK electricity pylon for almost a century. The T-pylons have a single pole and T-shaped cross arms which hold the wires in a diamond ‘earring’ shape. They are around 35 metres high; about a third shorter than traditional 400kV lattice pylons, have a smaller footprint and use less land. The new high-voltage 400kV overhead line featuring the new pylons is just one element of the Hinkley Connection which will run from Hinkley to Seabank, near Avonmouth. The full route is made up of 14 interconnected project stages which are set for completion by 2025. It includes modifications to Western Power Distribution’s (WPD) existing network plus 8.5km of underground cables through the Mendip Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which will leave the area free of pylons for the first time since the 1960s. Construction work started in 2018 and, as a critical infrastructure project, has continued throughout 2020. In that time, highlights include: Start of works to underground 132kV lines and remove pylons that run close to and over homes in Nailsea Completion of the temporary haul road for construction of the Mendip underground cables, including installation of a 90-tonne Callendar Hamilton Bridge – the first to be built in the UK for several decades. The start of trenching and ducting in preparation for the underground cables through the Mendip Hills Construction of 2400m of bat flyways to maintain habitat connectivity for bat roosts Start of construction work on two new substations at Shurton and Sandford Removal of pylons and wires near the M49 at Avonmouth and undergrounding of a short section of cable running north from Avonmouth substation Installation of a tilting weir on moors near Tickenham to adjust water levels to encourage wading birds to nest and breed National Grid is also supporting local communities most impacted by the works through a range of initiatives. So far these include over £354,000 in STEM grants to 538 schools, a total of £332,000 in community grants to 22 local projects plus an adult skills programme that has seen 175 local unemployed people gain a recognised construction qualification and helped 66 back into employment. James Goode, Project Director for National Grid said: “We have already reached some significant milestones on the Hinkley Connection Project, which is a testament to the skills and expertise of the project team and partners. It’s exciting to look forward to this time next year, when Hinkley Connection will see construction of the first new pylon design in nearly 100 years.”
A pioneering smart renewable heating scheme in Oxford, part of the £41m Energy Superhub Oxford project, has been given the green light to proceed following lockdown disruption, providing a confidence boost for the construction and renewables industries as they rise to covid-19 operational challenges, and a positive step towards the UK defining how it will meet its 2050 net zero target. The recommencement of the scheme with leading housing provider, Stonewater, and Kensa Contracting, will contribute to the Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project’s anticipated savings of 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year by 2021; the equivalent of taking 2,000 cars off the road. The 60-homes in Blackbird Leys will demonstrate how decarbonisation of heating using ground source heat pumps can interact with local energy systems to allow millions of homes to cut carbon and costs, and adopt a ‘smart cities’ model. The trial represents 20% of homes committed to receiving smart heating with Kensa ground source heat pumps as part of ESO, a world-first project backed by UKRI which is pioneering a model for the rapid decarbonisation of power, transport and heat in cities across the UK and globally. ESO showcases rapid electric vehicle charging, hybrid battery energy storage systems, low carbon heating, and smart energy management to improve air quality and accelerate Oxford’s journey to zero carbon. Councillor Tom Hayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council, visited the smart heat pump project as works resumed: “I am delighted that Blackbird Leys residents are first in line to benefit from a heat pumps system that saves them money and shrinks the city’s carbon footprint. Oxford’s Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change was clear that greener homes would be better homes, cheaper to heat. It was brilliant to visit the site of the new heat pumps, talk with the people making this aspect of Energy Superhub Oxford happen, and see at a social distance the positive impacts for local people. This year we have taken exciting steps forwards as part of the Energy Superhub Oxford project with the installation of electric vehicle chargers, electrification of the City Council’s fleet, and delivery of the electricity transformer to the National Grid substation in Cowley.” The residents at Blackbird Leys will have their night storage heating system replaced with a Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pump system coupled with Switchee heating controls, which will constantly sense, learn and respond to the inhabitant’s behaviour. Adding a further smart technology dimension to the running of the heat pump, Kensa’s heat optimisation software will take a day-ahead forecast of half hourly electricity costs, and automatically shift the operating times to enable the occupants to make savings from dynamic tariffs without having to change their behaviour. The smart heating system at Blackbird Leys is expected to save residents 3,520 tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime and cut their current night storage heating bills to levels lower than that of mains gas, all without adding strain to the UK’s electricity grid; a triple-challenge the renewables industry must overcome to ensure low carbon ground source heat pump technology is more widely adopted by society.
