Earlier work with the University of Strathclyde resulted in Ofgem registering our application for the Orkney network in 2005/2006 as SHEPDs first Registered Power Zone.

The considerable renewable energy resource on the Orkney Isles has attracted significant levels of wind farm and marine development such that the connection of further renewable energy generation output is constrained by the capacity of the distribution network. An Active Network Management (ANM) scheme was developed in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde and delivered by Smarter Grid Solutions Ltd. to make maximise the use of the existing infrastructure thereby providing a quicker and lower cost alternative to network upgrading and reinforcement works.

The active management scheme is expected to realise a total of 72MW or more of generator connected capacity onto the Orkney network. Currently, 47MW is already contracted on a firm or non-firm basis and a further 25MW of new non-firm generation output could be allowed onto the network by the ANM scheme. Of this 25MW, SHEPD originally estimated that at least 15MW would be economically viable and our expectations have been exceeded as SHEPD now have over 25MW of capacity contracted to connect to the first phase of this scheme. In 2009 SHEPD connected the first two schemes totalling 3.2MW, and in 2010 a further 4.5MW was connected, which brought the total to 7.7MW of wind generation. In the last 12 months, SHEPD have connected a further 5.4MW of wind generation to the scheme, to give a total RPZ connected capacity of 13.1MW.

Objectives

Aims to facilitate the connection of Distributed Generation.