Exciting new project INFINITE helps Britain achieve Net Zero

In response to Innovate UK’s call for research and development projects to support rebuilding the UK’s economy after the effects of COVID-19, EDF is pleased to announce project INFINITE: Identifying & releasiNg Flexibility IN IndusTrial dEmand. The project, being a highly innovative effort to address the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the UK industrial sector, seamlessly aligns with EDF social and sustainability responsibilities to help Britain achieve Net Zero.

Value of flexibility for residential customers 

The consortium partners, which includes innovative technology SMEs, recognise the need to investigate the value of flexibility on higher levels; i.e. upstream of LV networks and the residential sector, which have been adversely affected due to enhanced criticality of residential loads under the work-from-home practice during the lockdown measures. The project, specifically, aims at 1) identifying and characterising the flexibility potential of industrial facilities, 2) developing an analytical methodology for the optimal economic exploitation of such flexibility in the developing UK electricity market, and 3) validating the technical capability of industrial plants to provide different flexibility services through advanced control features.

Using expertise for good

Maria Brucoli, Smart Energy Systems manager at EDF said: “We’re pleased to be participating in this project as the level of expertise EDF’s Smart Energy Systems team bring can greatly enhance its outcomes. It is an ambitious project that can help Britain overcome the challenges introduced in the previous months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and notably in a cost-effective manner with decarbonisation being in the centre of this effort. As the leading generator of zero carbon electricity, EDF have the expertise to support the industrial sector in its sustainability agenda and reduce carbon emissions, all helping towards EDF’s aim of helping Britain achieve Net Zero.”

Anastasios Rousis, Chief Executive Officer at Smart Power Networks (SMPnet) added: “We are pleased to be leading this exciting project, which will propose an alternative to decarbonising the UK energy system in a cost-effective way. The Sustainable Innovation Fund is an excellent opportunity for the British innovation to take a leap forward and propose solutions that will help humanity tackle health and climate change emergencies. In this context, SMPnet’s control solutions can very much support the undergoing energy transition and we are proud to be offering this capability to the consortium. We look forward to engaging further with EDF and the rest of the world-class partners involved in Project INFINITE.”  

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