ANM - Balancing Coordination Demonstration (ABCD)

Objective(s) 

The project objectives are to:

• Develop the detailed coordination process required to avoid counteraction of Balancing Services by maintaining the headroom on ANM systems and document this is sufficient detail so that it can be used by any ANM system provider to enhance their system.
• Understand and capture the data exchanges required to support the coordination process
• Modify an ANM system and test it using realistic scenarios to show how it would operate in a real-world implementation
• Capture and share the project learning 

Problem(s) 

ANM systems operating on the distribution network can counteract the impact of distribution connected customers providing Balancing Services. This will push up Balancing Service costs but also reduces the available services needed for security of supply and could limit the connection of renewable generation to the network. The potential system interactions also makes non-delivery of services a risk that forms a barrier to entry for market participants. Removing this would increase market liquidity and reduce costs.

Method(s) 

The project will be delivered through four interlinked work packages as follows: 

Work Package 1: System specification and design 

This work package, involving all partners, will specify the processes and technologies by which 

• the notifications from NG ESO will be shared with DNOS1; 
• the DNO will process the request (including checking for co-ordination with any other DNO planned actions e.g. flexibility services - DSO primary rules) and relay the information to the relevant ANM system, and 
• the ANM system operation will be modified. 

The specification of the system requirements therefore covers both the modifications to the ANM system (and any other related system such as PowerOn) as well as the new communications and supporting technology. It is expected to involve cross party workshops and the design will be closely linked. The specification of communications requirements should also look ahead to the implementation of the forecasting based solutions and ensure that the solution for information transfer could support sharing forecasting data / results in the future as well.

Work Package 2: Commercial Evaluation 

This work package, delivered by WSP, will assess the potential impact of extending the degree to which ANM customers are constrained including potential costs if customers are to be compensated. This will consider different regulatory models reflecting extended customer choice in terms of firm/non-firm connection options.

Work Package 3: System Development 

This work package, delivered by SGS, will involve the development of the modified test ANM system.

Work Package 4: System Factory Acceptance Testing 

This is a set of tests to confirm the operation of the system meets the specification, carried out by SGS and witnessed by the other partners using the FAT workbook developed in WP1 to record the results of the tests. This work package includes any rework required to ensure all the tests in the workbook are successfully signed off.

Work Package 5: System Trial 

This will test the operation of the coordination solution with simulated balancing system requests under different conditions. This will be carried out by SGS and WSP according to the agreed System Trial plan developed in WP1

Work Package 6: Evaluation and Dissemination 

This work package, delivered primarily by WSP with input from the other partners, includes an assessment of the performance of the system during the trial, distilling and disseminating the project learning.

• Scope

  The project will amend one ANM system but the algorithms developed and the specification of the additional communications will be shared so that they can be adopted by other ANM systems. The modified ANM system is trialled using a test system, rather than a real ANM system to minimise the costs and risks of the project, but a wide range of operational scenarios are used to ensure that the modified system operates effectively.

  If balancing services and ANM systems are not coordinated then there is a financial impact in terms of NG ESO needing to despatch further services. There is also an impact on the liquidity of the balancing services market if players are wary of signing up to provide services when the operation of ANM schemes may affect their ability to deliver services putting them at risk of contractual penalties. NIA_NGSO0035 analysed the potential benefits of different coordination options. The modification of ANM systems to hold headroom being deployed in this project was estimated to have an annual benefit of £44m across the UK.

  Developing and testing this upgrade is expected to speed up the adoption of this solution by approximately 18 months and therefore the UK wide benefits from the project are in the order of £70m.

• Success Criteria

  Success criteria for the project are that: 

  • The detail behind the coordination methodology has been explored and expanded into a specification and a design solution which has been captured in the System Specification and Design document.
  • The requirements of communications to support coordination have been evaluated and the data items, frequencies and underlying technologies have been specified
  • A demonstration system has been built that can mimic the coordination process that would take place with live systems and this has been used to test the process under a variety of realistic test scenarios.
  • The learning from the project have been captured and disseminated 
• Potential for new learning

  The project is expected to generate learning as follows: 

  • What algorithms are required to co-ordinate between balancing services and ANM systems
  • What data items are required by those algorithms, what communications processes are needed to provide this data and what technologies could be used to support these processes
  • How are these algorithms incorporated into an existing ANM system
  • What are the trial scenarios required to demonstrate the operation of the modified ANM system
  • How well did the coordination perform when tested and were any of the scenarios particularly problematic
  • How will the potential additional constraining of customers from coordination be likely to sit within potential future regulatory frameworks and what could be the potential associated costs.
  • Dissemination will take place via a webinar at the end of the project.
• Documents and Links

  NIA Project Registration and PEA Document 

  Dissemination Webinar Slides

  Project Closedown Report 

• Monthly updates

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