Rural Electrification 2.0

Completed

Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Demographics)
Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Applied Research and Development

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Geography and Environmental Studies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Town and Country Planning)
BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour)

Project Contact
Northern Powergrid (Northeast) Limited

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 August 2022

31 December 2023

ENA months

£400,000

Power

North East

Project Contact, Northern Powergrid (Northeast) Limited

Project Contact, Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) plc

Project Contact, Northern Powergrid

The output of this project will be delivered through 3 distinct phases:Phase 1 will conduct extensive stakeholder engagement to better understand the technologies and commercial opportunities that could develop in the agricultural sector. This will identify potential operational models for such approach that will impact on the ED networks.Phase 2 will take the outputs from phase 1 will carry out analysis to determine the likely impacts and opportunities for the distribution networks. This will be carried out through modelling of a representative part of Northern Powergrids network and assessing the impact of different operational models on the amount of reinforcement (or other interventions) that would be triggered. Extrapolation of this analysis will estimate the quantum of investment likely over ED2 / ED3 along with potential barriers for the customer, network or regulatory frameworks.Phase 3 will collate the findings to provide recommendations for policy or procedural changes within Northern Powergrid that may clear or reduce some of the initial barriers. This will also be supplemented with more broader recommendations on recommendations where wider policy or regulatory frameworks may need to be considered to support the acceleration or rural decarbonisation. The project is small scale focussed on the decarbonisaton challenges faced by agricultural industry in the Northeast and will involve real world engagement with local stakeholders representing those communities. This will allow the development of computer based network models covering 3 different, representative areas of Northern Powergrids distribution network. The overarching objective of this project is to quantify and understand the impact of electrification of the agricultural sector and rural communities / businesses on the distribution network and identify how this can be managed and accelerated to ensure that any barriers that prevent this sector transitioning towards Net Zero are identified, and where possible, removed.This objective will be delivered through increased understanding of the technologies or business models that have potential in rural communities, how these will impact the distribution networks and the regulatory or commercial barriers that may prevent their uptake. This will allow Northern Powergrid and their customers to identify and facilitate new opportunities, support decarbonisation of the rural sector and increase rural network reliability.

Understanding the impact of increasing electrification of the agricultural sector and rural communities / businesses on the distribution network allows the removal of barriers and the acceleration of the net-zero transition.This will allow Northern Powergrid and their customers to identify and facilitate new opportunities, support decarbonisation of the rural sector and increase rural network reliability..

14/10/22