Leading clean energy company Enviromena has responded to proposed reforms by National Grid ESO, the UK’s electricity system operator, to move to a ‘first ready, first connected’ system, saying the approach is welcomed, but further thought is needed to ensure ready-to-build projects are prioritised.
The ESO’s TMO4+ proposals outline plans to switch to a ‘first ready, first connected’ approach for connection applications to the national grid, taking effect from 1st January 2025.
The proposals move away from a ‘first come, first served’ approach by introducing a new process and requirements for connection applications, which, says the ESO, will ‘enable readier projects to connect more rapidly’.
Chris Marsh, CEO of Enviromena, said: “We fully support the idea, but while the reforms state projects with long-term land rights in place will be looked at favourably, there does not seem to be anything included in the proposed reforms which prioritises “shovel-ready” sites, where planning and funding is in place, over sites with just land rights in place. It’s these sites, in our view, which should be prioritised.”
Enviromena anticipates having over 150MW of these shovel-ready projects ready to connect to the grid by January 2025, and over 250MW projects set to reach ready to build stage in the first half of 2025.
Responding to a call from ESO for connections stakeholders’ feedback on its proposed reforms designed to deliver the right energy mix needed to meet net zero, Enviromena has also commented to seek clarity that queue acceleration activities will also focus on the distribution level queue as well as the transmission queue.
Furthermore, it has requested a public register of all connections in the UK to be published, with full visibility on land rights, planning and funding status. Additionally, it has called for more stringent obligations to be put on DNOs to submit distribution level projects to National Grid in a more timely manner to ensure they are not disadvantaged in the queue position compared to direct transmission applications.
Chris Marsh added: “Enviromena has already demonstrated an energetic and innovative approach to secure planning and funding for projects to accelerate them ahead of others in the queue. Our Horsey Levels scheme in Somerset made history recently by becoming the first in the country to have been energised significantly ahead of its original planned connection date, made possible through the Technical Limits acceleration programme. In addition, our Kiln Fields site in Hampshire, another example of our approach to planning and financing clean energy projects, will soon be energised.”
Discussing some of Enviromena’s projects, currently awaiting sign off to connect to the grid, Marsh added: “We are still waiting for the National Grid and Northern Powergrid to find an accelerated solution to connect our 30MW BESS project at West Sleekburn which has had planning rights and a lease in place for two years. Furthermore, we also have planning, land rights and funding in place for our 42MW solar project at Parley Court in Christchurch, where we are pushing for a solution to enable an accelerated connection.
“We are obviously keen to endorse any reforms that can speed up connections but we believe it’s vital that our concerns, and those of other stakeholders, are addressed to ensure the solution which is rolled out in the new year is fit-for-purpose and structured in the correct way to accelerate the deployment of projects in the drive towards net zero.”
