Dear Mark

Please find below the July 2021 edition of the SP Energy Networks ICE monthly newsletter highlighting the important work we are doing to Prepare for Net Zero.

EV-First Rural Electric Bin Lorries to support Dumfries and Galloway’s 2025 Net Zero drive

We're piloting the country’s first rural all-electric refuse vehicles in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Council as the region works towards achieving its bold 2025 net zero emissions target.

Two new £1.04 million high-tech refuse vehicles, funded as part of SP Energy Networks’ £20million Green Economy Fund. The brand-new electric refuse vehicles are the country’s first for a rural area and will be introduced onto routes serving local communities across both Dumfries and Stranraer, the two largest towns in Dumfries and Galloway. Using the vehicles to collect waste is part of the drive to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality across the region, with the added benefit of reducing noise pollution in residential neighbourhoods.

To learn more about this project, click here.

To learn more about the Green Economy fund, click here.


Heat- Battery Storage Project is yielding big results for tenants

Warmworks Scotland delivered an innovative £1.25million battery storage project, funded by our Green Economy Fund, to help reduce energy costs in 133 homes in Dumfries and Galloway. Many households that benefited from this project were living in flue poverty, and we are proud to be supporting them.

Guy Jefferson, our Chief Operating Officer, said: “We invest directly in projects that promote low-carbon heating and transport, and support people and communities in creating a cleaner and greener future. Projects like this help accelerate the green economy and help deliver a better future, quicker for us all."

To learn more about the success of this project, click here.


Flexibility - Access and Forward-looking Charges Significant Code Review – Consultation on Minded to Positions

On the 30th June Ofgem published their Consultation on Minded to Positions for their Access and Forward-looking Charges Significant Code Review. This consultation sets out reforms that Ofgem wish to take to enable competition, innovation, and decarbonisation at lowest cost, and to protect consumers in the transition to a smarter, more flexible, and low carbon energy system. The opportunity to respond to this consultation closes on the 25th August.

More information on this consultation can be found at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/access-and-forward-looking-charges-significant-code-review-consultation-minded-positions


Innovation- Our Pioneering Partnership with Conrad Energy

We are pleased to share that we have appointed Conrad Energy, the UK's largest Independent Power Producer, to assist with a ground-breaking project to utilise reactive power to solve network constraints, helping support communities and customers on the journey to net zero emissions.

This is the first time a UK Distribution Network Operator (DNO) has contracted with a third party to provide a reactive power service at a distribution level, and we're proud to be helping lead the way towards a cleaner, greener future - a vision shared by Conrad Energy.

To learn more, click here.


Community- £20 million Electricity Network upgrade benefitting 90,000 homes and businesses in Kirby completed

We have completed a £20 million project to upgrade the electricity network in Merseyside to enhance the resilience of power supplies to over 90,000 homes and businesses across the Kirkby area.

The project commenced its main works in 2015 and during that time over 200 people have been employed in its planning, design and construction. The upgrade involved the replacement of old equipment with modern, state-of-the-art technology.

The work increases the resilience of the network to support future growth for the customers and community of Kirby as the country pushes towards net zero.

To learn more about our work in the area of Kirby, click here.


Kind regards,

Stakeholder & Community Engagement Team