Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution will unlock greater volume and value from flexibility across our networks, following our decision to select Electron’s ‘ElectronConnect’ platform to streamline and expand our procurement of Flexibility Services.
Our DSO Acceleration Action Plan identified the selection of a new Flexibility Market Platform during the Spring of 2024 as a key enabler for further growth. We've worked closely with our stakeholders to gain the best-possible understanding of what they need from the platform running the distribution flexibility market. The feedback from the people and groups we work with has informed the decision to select Electron’s platform.
Flexibility Services are vital to enabling the net zero energy transition in a cost-effective way. They quickly and efficiently maximise the capacity of the existing network and work alongside strategic investment to release further network capacity in the most effective way possible. This three-year partnership allows us to use ElectronConnect to streamline the entry into the market for Flexibility Service Providers (FSPs).
ABOVE: A screenshot of the ElectronConnect platform SSEN Distribution has selected
This will open up new opportunities for both long-term and short-term flexibility from a single platform, in line with the ambitions set out in SSEN’s Flexibility Roadmap. The platform provides the end-to-end procurement and contract management process, with an intuitive application programming interface, to meet the needs of our stakeholders.
The growing need for flexibility – and what’s needed to deliver it at scale – has also influenced our decision to select Electron’s solution. It provides Distribution System Operations (DSOs) like ours, with a configurable market platform that offers compliance and alignment with industry standards straight out-of-the-box.
SSEN’s Head of Network Operations, Nigel Bessant, says:
“Digitalisation is at the heart of DSO transition, and it’s key to accelerating our Net Zero plans. In our DSO Acceleration Plan, we identified Flexibility Services as a key area where we needed to refine our digital tools. With our partnership with Electron, we’re doing just that.
"This new platform is critical to further building our flexibility portfolio to meet the requirements identified in our Distribution Network Options Assessment. Electron is a great partner for SSEN on this digital journey, with a well-aligned product and service vision, and a commitment to collaborative development.”
Electron CEO and Co-Founder, Jo-Jo Hubbard says:
“We’re incredibly excited about the ambition of SSEN's vision for scaling flexibility markets; they’ve contracted over 700MW of flexibility in the past few months alone.
"Being selected to support this expansion across both central southern England and north of Scotland is hugely significant for Electron. We’ve built our platform to unlock flexibility at scale, so we’re delighted to be bringing this to life with the SSEN team and the Flexibility Service Providers who’re active in their licence areas.”
May’s planned Mini Competition and Bidding Window will use the existing platform and processes. Migration of data to Electron’s platform will happen over the summer. The first bidding windows will be accessible through ElectronConnect from August. Planned Procurement activities are published in SSEN’s Procurement Statement.