Electricity North West today launches its biggest ever flexibility requirements, its eleventh and largest tender in the business’ history.
2018 saw the UK’s regional grids begin purchasing for the first time local flex capacity, a key ally in their struggle to overcome congestion and ease pressure on network chokepoints.
This year for the fourth year running, DNOs seek record levels of local flexibility, with almost 4GW tendered in 12 months. Consolidated flexibility figures from trade body the Energy Networks Association demonstrate the scale and size of its member DNOs’ local flexibility markets, as well as National Grid ESO’s figures for Contracted Flexibility.
ENW is calling for over a Gigawatt of flexibility over the six years to 2028 across 30 locations in its patch, running from north Wales to the Scots border. It has earmarked £10m for purchases.
Lois Clark, Electricity North West’s DSO commercial manager said: “Stakeholder feedback has been essential in developing the flexibility market in the North West”.
“Following our consultation in September, we have published half hourly forecasts of our requirements for the next five years within our Autumn tender. This allows us to offer longer term flexibility contracts to providers and demonstrates our commitment to transparency and market engagement.
“We also responded to customer feedback calling for a more streamlined approach for submitting a tender response and we worked with PicloFlex to integrate the pre-qualification questionnaire onto the platform which will allow providers to complete all steps of the procurement in one place,” Clark said.
The bidding window will be open from 13 to 24t February 2023. Potential providers are encouraged to register on the PicloFlex platform using the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and prequalify their assets by January 27.
ENW is running a webinar about the latest requirements on 14th December. Registrations can be made via https://flexibilitywebinar.eventbrite.co.uk.
