The UK’s first transmission-connected battery energy storage system
The world’s first grid scale ‘hybrid’ battery, consisting of a 50MW/50MWh Lithium ion battery and a 2MW/5MWh Vanadium Redox Flow battery working in tandem (enough energy to supply around 4000 homes for a day)
A new machine learning based ‘Optimisation and Trading Engine’ to automate and optimise the use of the battery in the electricity markets and for services to National Grid
The ESO project has opened up the transmission connection market to other battery storage developers – such storage is essential for the UK’s future distributed electricity system
The battery provides additional flexibility to National Grid in stabilizing the electricity system through frequency management and other services
This is the first of up to 40 similar batteries to be built by EDF Renewables (two more already nearing completion and three more approved for investment)
New modular Invinity Flow battery now being rolled out in other projects
Battery storage is critical for future operation of a distributed grid but requires investors willing to take significant amounts of merchant risk for potentially attractive returns
The market for grid services is highly dynamic and needs agility and responsiveness to adapt to the changing requirements of the electricity system
Energy Storage is still classified as a generating asset, but given its essential role in regulating the grid this needs to be reviewed.
Enabled the Oxford Bus Company to electrify its fleet of 104 buses beginning in the autumn of 2023, through connection to ESO’s private wire network
Discussions continue for a further 55 buses to be charged via the network
Helped Oxfordshire County Council to win Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding from UK Government
A major win for air quality for Oxford residents
Ability to pro-actively invest in vital infrastructure for electric vehicle charging ahead of need (i.e., substation at OBC depot) can accelerate the transition
Complex projects involving local & national government funding and multiple private companies require patience and commitment
UK’s largest and Europe’s most powerful charging hub with 42 charge points catering for a range of speeds from Fast A/C to Ultra-rapid D/C
Construction of a 7km private cable network offering 10MW of power directly from the UK’s overhead electrical network
Launch of the UK’s first transmission-connected EV charging facility
Multi Operator hub offers full flexibility for users, from those needing to charge in 15 minutes on a long journey, to those wishing to charge for the day while they visit the city
The Superhub provides an attractive option for Oxford residents with EVs but without domestic charging
22,000 visits in the first 8 months providing charging for around 2 million miles of carbon free driving (all charging is on renewable energy tariffs)
Public/Private partnership is essential to delivering complex projects of this type – Oxford City Council and its partners demonstrated a highly successful delivery team
Even an ambitious and sustainably driven Council such as Oxford identified real gaps in its skills and resources to deliver a project of this complexity
ESO drove changes to the regulations for connecting to the National Grid to enable projects such as transmission-connected EV charging, and for changes to metering by electricity supply companies
Replacement of 40 of the Council’s fleet of 340 vehicles with electric vehicles, including cars, vans, tippers, sweepers and Oxford’s first electric refuse vehicle
Installation of 38 charge points to support the fleet in Council depots and staff homes
A new EV portal for Oxford DirectServices and the Council to manage their EV fleet, provide data on carbon and cost savings, and inform future EV fleet migration
Savings of 123 tonnes of CO2 per annum in the first two years of operation
Clarity of future fleet depot strategy is crucial at the outset, and requires full local authority executive buy-in at the earliest possible stage
Smaller vehicles are the easiest to migrate. Larger vehicles/HGVs will be a far greater challenge for local authorities UK-wide
Implications of introducing home charging require careful management and employee engagement is key
Installed a network of shared ground source heating infrastructure to heat 57 social housing residences in the city
Ran ‘load shifting’ trials to demonstrate the benefits of smart controls and time of use tariffs, exploring the value of flexibility in domestic heating
Demonstrated a new integrated heat pump with heat battery to further improve heating profiles
Demonstrated savings of up to 50% for the residents against their existing night storage systems
Shifting of heating load (flexibility) using the building fabric as storage can reduce the potential peak loads which UK-wide electrification of heat will create
Time of Use tariffs will be an essential part of achieving the benefits of deploying heat flexibility
Smart metering roll out must include prepayment meters, which are very common in social housing
The UK’s first transmission-connected battery energy storage system
The world’s first grid scale ‘hybrid’ battery, consisting of a 50MW/50MWh Lithium ion battery and a 2MW/5MWh Vanadium Redox Flow battery working in tandem (enough energy to supply around 4000 homes for a day)
A new machine learning based ‘Optimisation and Trading Engine’ to automate and optimise the use of the battery in the electricity markets and for services to National Grid
The ESO project has opened up the transmission connection market to other battery storage developers – such storage is essential for the UK’s future distributed electricity system
The battery provides additional flexibility to National Grid in stabilizing the electricity system through frequency management and other services
This is the first of up to 40 similar batteries to be built by EDF Renewables (two more already nearing completion and three more approved for investment)
New modular Invinity Flow battery now being rolled out in other projects
Battery storage is critical for future operation of a distributed grid but requires investors willing to take significant amounts of merchant risk for potentially attractive returns
The market for grid services is highly dynamic and needs agility and responsiveness to adapt to the changing requirements of the electricity system
Energy Storage is still classified as a generating asset, but given its essential role in regulating the grid this needs to be reviewed.
Enabled the Oxford Bus Company to electrify its fleet of 104 buses beginning in the autumn of 2023, through connection to ESO’s private wire network
Discussions continue for a further 55 buses to be charged via the network
Helped Oxfordshire County Council to win Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding from UK Government
A major win for air quality for Oxford residents
Ability to pro-actively invest in vital infrastructure for electric vehicle charging ahead of need (i.e., substation at OBC depot) can accelerate the transition
Complex projects involving local & national government funding and multiple private companies require patience and commitment
UK’s largest and Europe’s most powerful charging hub with 42 charge points catering for a range of speeds from Fast A/C to Ultra-rapid D/C
Construction of a 7km private cable network offering 10MW of power directly from the UK’s overhead electrical network
Launch of the UK’s first transmission-connected EV charging facility
Multi Operator hub offers full flexibility for users, from those needing to charge in 15 minutes on a long journey, to those wishing to charge for the day while they visit the city
The Superhub provides an attractive option for Oxford residents with EVs but without domestic charging
22,000 visits in the first 8 months providing charging for around 2 million miles of carbon free driving (all charging is on renewable energy tariffs)
Public/Private partnership is essential to delivering complex projects of this type – Oxford City Council and its partners demonstrated a highly successful delivery team
Even an ambitious and sustainably driven Council such as Oxford identified real gaps in its skills and resources to deliver a project of this complexity
ESO drove changes to the regulations for connecting to the National Grid to enable projects such as transmission-connected EV charging, and for changes to metering by electricity supply companies
Replacement of 40 of the Council’s fleet of 340 vehicles with electric vehicles, including cars, vans, tippers, sweepers and Oxford’s first electric refuse vehicle
Installation of 38 charge points to support the fleet in Council depots and staff homes
A new EV portal for Oxford DirectServices and the Council to manage their EV fleet, provide data on carbon and cost savings, and inform future EV fleet migration
Savings of 123 tonnes of CO2 per annum in the first two years of operation
Clarity of future fleet depot strategy is crucial at the outset, and requires full local authority executive buy-in at the earliest possible stage
Smaller vehicles are the easiest to migrate. Larger vehicles/HGVs will be a far greater challenge for local authorities UK-wide
Implications of introducing home charging require careful management and employee engagement is key
Installed a network of shared ground source heating infrastructure to heat 57 social housing residences in the city
Ran ‘load shifting’ trials to demonstrate the benefits of smart controls and time of use tariffs, exploring the value of flexibility in domestic heating
Demonstrated a new integrated heat pump with heat battery to further improve heating profiles
Demonstrated savings of up to 50% for the residents against their existing night storage systems
Shifting of heating load (flexibility) using the building fabric as storage can reduce the potential peak loads which UK-wide electrification of heat will create
Time of Use tariffs will be an essential part of achieving the benefits of deploying heat flexibility
Smart metering roll out must include prepayment meters, which are very common in social housing