Energy networks have issued a “call for ideas” as they seek partners to help them compete for £90 million of funding up for grabs in Ofgem’s annual Network Innovation Competition (NIC).
Successful applicants will work with network operators to secure shares of up to £70 million available for electricity network projects and up to £20 million available for gas network projects.
The call has been sent out by the trade body for the sector – the Energy Networks Association (ENA) – which said proposals must offer environmental benefits and clear cost advantages for both networks and the general public, whilst demonstrating genuine innovation.
They will also need to align with the priorities, such as whole-system planning, laid out in the gas and electricity network innovation strategies published by the ENA earlier this year.
“This is an exciting chance for innovators to deliver projects that will make a real difference to the way networks operate in communities up and down the country,” said ENA chief executive David Smith.
“Network innovation is vital to keeping energy bills down for the public, whilst delivering a smarter, cleaner and more flexible energy system that serves the country. We want to hear from the widest range of energy innovators as possible to help deliver that.”
Energy System Catapult chief executive Philip New said: “We are seeing extraordinary changes across the energy system, in particular in how our networks manage the shift to more low carbon and decentralised energy.
“This programme gives innovative companies the important chance to road test new ideas and trial them at scale.”
The deadline for submissions is 26 October.
Ofgem awarded £42.4 million to five electricity network innovation projects and £15.2 million to two gas network innovation projects in the most recent NIC.
Northern Gas Networks secured £8.9 million to take forward the latest stage of its H21 project to support the conversion of the UK gas grid to run on hydrogen, whilst Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks bagged up to £13.1 million to help develop markets for flexibility services.
You can read a full breakdown of last year’s winners here.