Scottish Power Energy Networks (SP Energy Networks) secured more than £21 million ($27.5 million) of funding last week for three energy projects from the UK’s Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund.
Almost £5 million ($6.55 million) has been allocated to Blade. This is a project that will examine how offshore wind farms could be used to restore Britain’s electricity network following a national power outage.
The Blade team is working with SSEN, the National HVDC Centre, University of Strathclyde and Carbon Trust on the development.
An advisory panel of offshore wind farm developers and original equipment manufacturers is providing support for the design of a potential commercial mechanism that could be adopted across the industry.
Last month, Ofgem introduced a new process that gives innovators more opportunities to apply or re-apply to the Strategic Innovation Fund and gain funding quicker. More than £95 million was announced for 10 projects through the Strategic Innovation Fund in July 2023. Projects being developed include technologies that will enable more flexible use of energy, artificial intelligence and weather data systems to predict energy network risks and faults and circuit breakers that enable the increasing amounts of power generated by offshore wind to be connected to the grid more efficiently.
