£95.3 million in funding has been secured for ten pioneering projects aimed at advancing the decarbonization and affordability of energy. These projects, supported by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund and Innovate UK, aim to accelerate the transition to clean, homegrown energy while positioning Great Britain as a global center for energy innovation. Led by energy networks in collaboration with research and technology partners, the projects include technologies for flexible energy use, AI-driven risk prediction for energy networks, and improved connection of offshore wind power to the grid.
Significant funding, approximately £49.1 million, is allocated to projects exploring hydrogen technologies. This includes adapting gas compression units for hydrogen use and investigating hydrogen use in heavy-duty transportation. These projects demonstrate potential for widespread adoption and align with the UK government’s net zero targets, benefiting consumers in the future. Funding is contingent on meeting key milestones, ensuring consumer benefit and minimizing risk.
Marzia Zafar, Deputy Director of Digitalization & Innovation at Ofgem, highlights the need for innovative solutions to achieve clean power targets by 2035. Collaborating with Innovate UK through the SIF funding, Ofgem empowers innovators and facilitates the development of transformative technologies for the energy transition.
The CrowdFlex project, led by National Grid ESO, aims to utilize household energy flexibility as a national resource for decarbonization. This involves aligning energy demand with generation, improving network coordination, and reducing stress on the system, all while lowering consumer energy bills. With partners like Amazon Web Services, Octopus Energy, and OVO Energy, the project seeks to establish flexibility as a resource through consumer trials and inform new product design.
The Digital Platform for Leakage Analytics, led by Cadent, focuses on using data, analytics, and sensors to detect and predict gas leaks in the distribution network. This prototype system enables real-time alerts, accurate analysis of leakage data, and swift action to minimize leaks. By addressing leakage-related emissions, it supports net zero goals and reduces costs for gas customers.
Matt Hastings, Deputy Director of the Ofgem SIF program at Innovate UK, emphasizes the urgency of the net zero issue and the potential of these projects to deliver cost and carbon emission savings in the coming years. With over 100 projects funded since 2022, the SIF encourages more innovators to contribute transformative technologies for a sustainable future.
