UK energy trading outfit Ovo is working with Vento Ludens, which owns the Muirake wind farm in Scotland, to provide a new flexibility service to National Grid ESO.
Ovo subsidiary Kaluza has developed an intelligent platform that will bid energy from Muirake to provide the Optional Downward Flexibility Management (ODFM) service.
ODFM launched in May 2020, in response to unprecedented reduction in demand on the UK grid from the pandemic.
Through the ODFM product, the grid operator can procure wind farms and other renewable generators to switch off when demand drops significantly, to help balance the grid.
Kaluza flexibility head Conor Maher-McWilliams said: “Lockdown has shown us that we cannot always easily predict demand patterns.
“This task will be made even more challenging as millions of electric vehicles plug in to the grid, coupled with the government’s recent pledge of 40GW of wind generation by 2030.
“We therefore have to find new ways to bridge the gap between the national grid and individual, distributed renewable generators on the ground.”
Vento Ludens project developer Matthew Haughton said: “We are entering very exciting times for distributed generation. In the UK, the markets are reaching a pivotal point.
“Opportunities for generators will soon go beyond traditional purchase power agreements and subsidies, and will increasingly play a role in grid balancing.
“Beyond the obvious draw for the balance sheet, the ability for green generators to keep the grid in balance will be crucial in enabling the UK to reach its net zero goals.
“For the Muirake wind farm, ODFM marks the first of hopefully many steps innovating within National Grid ESO’s opportunities to come.”