WPD to expand connection options through storage trial

The distribution network operator will test different configurations and develop technical policies through trials of battery energy storage at four separate WPD depots in order to open up the market for storage and flexibility solutions.

The work will particularly look at using storage at industrial and commercial sites to benefit the grid through deferring investment in the network, alleviating constraints and clarifying the position of storage in different regulatory environments.

Industrial and commercial customers will also receive a range of benefits such as overall power consumption reduction and lower future distribution use of service charges from reduced reinforcement requirements.

WPD said it is not always possible or efficient to plan the network reinforcement required to deal with the growth of distributed generation and new demand technologies ahead of need, and the work can be too costly and time consuming to deploy when the need has been identified.

WPD will be tendering for a suitable storage partner in the two-and-a-half-year £1,144,000 network innovation allowance project.

The project, called Industrial and Commercial Storage, will also provide improvements in cost efficiency, customer service, reliability, and render grid services.

These include peak shaving, load shifting, transmission and distribution support, phase balancing, reverse power flow mitigation and emergency backup.

WPD say the project may simulate a range of transmission system services such as response services, constraint management, reactive power, energy contracts and enhanced frequency response.

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