This project will explore how to deliver a mixed vector energy system with integrated energy storage across the TEED. It will use a Digital Twin to create plans that will decarbonise energy around Tyseley, provide local resilience and create replicable answers for similar communities across GB. It will also explore how to integrate the transition in transport systems (rail, trucks, lighter vehicles, city council fleets and logistics) can be integrated into the energy system.
This application fits with the following round-two Innovation Challenge (also several others):
- Accelerating decarbonisation of major energy demands: The decarbonisation of heating requires the integration of existing waste heat sources into the energy system in an optimal configuration. TEED currently has 2, but in the future 3, large scale generators of waste heat. At present, the simplest solution is to connect these sources into the city centre district heating system. However, this bypasses local residents and businesses. Exploring how to integrate a heat network into the development of the green energy system of the TEED will reduce energy losses through local exploitation of the heat. The project will also explore how a hydrogen grid can be integrated with a smart electricity and heat grid to produce an overarching energy system across an urban environment.
The innovation is to develop a local smart energy system with electricity, hydrogen, heat with energy storage which feeds a mixed community of business, industry and domestic consumers to accelerate a low carbon energy transition for local consumers, with good resilience and lower energy costs.
Experience: The project is led by NGED with experience of the management of the local grid, Tyseley Energy Park who have developed the 10 MW biomass plant and the 3 MW hydrogen electrolyser, Birmingham City Council who have oversight of the net zero transition of Birmingham and experience of developing the Birmingham District Energy Company and district heating, cooling and power system, University of Birmingham who have led innovation in energy systems including energy storage the digital twin of the TEED and the companies EQUANS, Pinnacle Power and SSE all who have considerable experience of developing energy systems at national and city scale.
End users and match to need: The end users are communities of fuel poor households and 250 local businesses. These both have challenges around the decarbonization of energy, energy resilience and cost. This project will examine how local energy assets can support these communities.
Problem Bring Solved
This project is an investigation of how a complex, multi-vector energy system with significant local generation and storage can be developed to be optimally resilient and deliver best value to a mixed local community of industry and domestic consumers, alongside ongoing regeneration of the area.
Impacts and benefits
The Discovery project conducted a desktop-based study to assess the feasibility of utilising existing energy infrastructure and waste heat opportunities for decarbonising substantial energy demands in the Tyseley area of Birmingham. It aimed to establish a framework applicable to similar regions.
As discussed in Section 2, the primary stakeholders of the TEED project include Tyseley Energy Park, Birmingham City Council, Local Residents and Industry, and National Grid Electricity Distribution. Each stakeholder sought improved visibility and confidence in the most effective holistic decarbonisation approach for the area. The Discovery phase laid a solid foundation for future work in the TEED area, including a comprehensive breakdown of energy demand and well-documented existing energy infrastructure.
During the Options assessment phase, three detailed options were proposed and assessed, providing valuable insights for stakeholders considering different decarbonisation strategies in industrial zones like TEED. Following the Discovery Phase, the focus was on developing methodologies and market mechanisms for seamlessly integrating the district heat network into the electrical grid and avoiding grid reinforcement through flexibility, an aspect not widely understood. This phase presented an opportunity to trial the optimal whole-system outcome, combining heat and electrical network sector coupling.
To evaluate the economic, environmental, and social benefits of implementing the TEED solution, Birmingham University conducted a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis as described in Section 1.
However, due to the project’s unsuccessful Alpha application, the project will not be not pursued further. The decision was based on the high commercial risk, which made it unfeasible for National Grid to fund the work via regular business-as-usual means. A review will be conducted to assess the possibility of incorporating certain aspects of the proposed work into a separate Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) project.
