Flexibility Service Procurement
Find out where we are procuring Flexibility Services and how to get involved.
Sign up for future tenders on our Dynamic Purchasing System (Delta eSourcing) below.
Locations and requirements are published one month before tender. You can view these on our Flexible Power Map.
Documentation on the services we procure, how they are operated and our regulatory reports can be found in our document library.
Our monthly KPI dashboard can be viewed here.
Please email if you have a question about Flexibility Services.
SSEN procures Flexibility Services from owners, operators or aggregators of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), which can be generators, storage or demand assets. These services are needed in areas of the network which have capacity constraints at particular times or under certain circumstances. These areas are known as Constraint Managed Zones (CMZs).
With the rollout of low-carbon technologies and the need to make the most of available network capacity, Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) like SSEN are preparing for significant growth in the use of Flexibility Services to help manage the network in a cost-effective way.
We have plans to increase the use of Flexibility Services to help avoid potential overload conditions. DER owners, operators, or aggregators able to offer more than 50kW of flexible capacity may be able to provide Flexibility Services and benefit from availability and utilisation payments.
Current Tenders
Ongoing bidding round and upcoming mini-competition
Bidding Window
You can participate in a Bidding Window if you have a signed overarching agreement.
The bidding round for Fleet Bramley and the CMZs that were not fulfilled in our January 2024 tender was opened on the 15th of February 2024 and closes on Friday the 29th of February at 5pm.
Mini-competition
You can participate in a Mini-competition if you are on the DPS Select List. The mini-competition is how you move towards a signed overarching agreement to participate in a bidding window.
For an opportunity to take part in future tenders, a mini competition will open on Monday the 4th of March 2024 for potential Providers who are on our DPS Select List. Being on the DPS Select List means that you have completed and submitted the DPS questionnaire and received confirmation that you have passed and been added to the DPS Select List in order to be invited to the mini-competition. This questionnaire is in addition to registering on the Delta system and contains company and DER details. We are unable to add any potential providers to the mini-competition once it is open.
Please note, if you already have been awarded an overarching agreement you do not need to respond to the upcoming mini-competition.
Global Tender
SSEN are pleased to announce a network-wide call for flexibility. Our Global Call initiative was launched with a webinar on Monday 18th of September 2023 – an opportunity for all potential providers of flexibility within our licence areas to get involved. We are interested in engaging with potential providers of flexibility services with capacity over 10 kW within GSP Groups throughout our Distribution Licence Areas. This includes owners, operators and aggregators of generation, storage or demand assets and suppliers.
SSEN are seeking to procure: Secure; Restore and Dynamic services as well as opting-in to provide Emergency. We are looking to contract for up to 4 years with participants signing the new Flexibility Service Agreement from the ENA.
More information can be found in our document library. To arrange a one-to-one session or for any questions on this tender round, please contact Flexibilityprocurement@sse.com.
Procurement Deadlines
Standard Services
SSEN procure four active power services named Sustain, Secure, Dynamic and Restore. The scenarios and parameters used are aligned with Open Networks definitions.
| Service | Description | Use Cases | Payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustain | The provider agrees in advance their availability to deliver a change... | Network forecasts indicate risk of the network going beyond capacity... | Utilisation or Fixed Income |
| Secure |
The provider agrees in advance their availability to deliver a change in export or import at specified times. Based on forecasts closer to the event, SSEN may or may not instruct the change. |
Network forecasts indicate risk of the network going beyond capacity in N-1 fault conditions (i.e. where resilience is compromised) OR Planned works, which would normally involve either a power outage or the use of mobile diesel generation |
Availability and Utilisation |
| Dynamic |
The provider agrees in advance their availability to deliver a change in export or import at specified times. Depending on network conditions close to or during the service window, SSEN may or may not instruct the change. |
Network forecasts indicate risk of the network going beyond capacity in N-2 fault conditions. (i.e. situations where power outages are likely). OR Planned works where there is a risk of a power outage that needs to be mitigated. |
Availability and Utilisation |
| Restore |
SSEN instructs a provider in real-time to either remain off supply, reconnect with lower demand, or to reconnect generation to support faster restoration. |
Supply restoration following unplanned power outages |
Utilisation |
Flexibility Services Dashboard
Data is updated at the end of each month.
Flexible Power
We are a member of the Flexible Power collaboration, a group of 5 DNOs working together to deliver a toolkit for operating Flexibility Services in a standardised and scalable manner. Please visit the Flexible Power website for more information.
Distribution System Operator (DSO)
To meet the challenges of using flexibility in the operation of a safe, reliable and cost-efficient network, SSEN need to develop new capabilities, systems and skills, which are collectively known as Distribution System Operator. Find out more about our DSO action plan here.