Electricity North West has achieved a significant milestone with the successful live demonstration of its Active Network Management (ANM) system.
The accomplishment aims to pave the way for streamlined connection processes and enhanced network management capabilities, which are set to launch in the first quarter of 2025.
The implementation of ANM in the North West of England is pivotal in Electricity North West’s Distribution System Operation transition, it said, enabling the optimised use of paid flexible services, Electricity North West-owned network assets, and flexible connections under distribution network constraints.
In collaboration with Schneider Electric, its ANM system is a network constraint manager, which is integrated into the existing Network Management System (NMS).
By harnessing a real-time network topology model, it aims to eliminate communication latencies, delivering efficient instructions and maximising the use of Distributed Energy Resources, while preserving existing network assets. In addition, it allows for scalability with lower additional costs to system users, ensuring a cost-effective and user-friendly solution for network management.
It also aims to accelerate connections that might have otherwise needed to wait for network reinforcement.
Through strategic partnerships with GB Distribution Network Operators, National Grid Transmission, The National Energy System Operator, and Ofgem, Electricity North West has spearheaded initiatives to leverage distribution ANM systems to resolve constraints on transmission networks. An estimated 1.8GW of connection schemes in the North West are set for acceleration, potentially advancing projects by up to a decade, it added.
Ben Grunfeld, strategy and growth director at Electricity North West said:
“Successfully testing the ANM system signals a significant milestone in our journey towards net zero in the North West and our transition to DSO . This system will unlock network capacity, facilitating the integration of renewable generation, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. ”
Image from Electricity North West
