Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 19TH - 25TH JANUARY 2018 | 5 Northern Ireland Water, the Department for Infrastructure, the Education Authority and the Department of Education have introduced a rainwater garden to help reduce the risk of flooding at Clandeboye Primary School. The project is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and cost £70,000. NI Water previously spent £1.7 million on a new pumping station within the grounds of the school. 50MW VLC Energy has installed the UK's largest utility-scale battery portfolio to date, comprising two projects: a 40MW battery park at Glassenbury, Kent; and a 10MW battery park at Cleator, Cumbria. ENERGY Ofgem restructure Ofgem is to be streamlined into three divisions separated accord- ing to their regulatory functions. The restructuring should be complete before it moves to a new government hub building at Canary Wharf in London. The consumers and markets division will look after the interests of consumers in the energy market. Its remit will include both wholesale and retail markets as well as enforcement. The system operation and networks division will focus on developing the next round of RIIO and ensuring maximum benefits for consumers from the transfor- mation of the energy system. The corporate and scheme services division will provide busi- ness support services to the rest of Ofgem and run environmental schemes for the government. "Utilities are one of the last sectors to be digitally disrupted and if we're to meet future consumer and client demands, our industry needs to move forward quickly" Alan Brookes, chief executive of Arcadis UK, as the company acquired software and analytics firm SEAMS. Affinity Water appoints Cocker as chairman Affinity Water has appointed Tony Cocker, the former chief executive and chairman of Eon UK, as its independent chairman. Cocker, who won Utility Week's Industry Champion Award in December 2017, joined the water company's board this week and takes over as chairman from Philip Nolan on 30 January. With a strong understanding of the utility sector, Cocker is cur- rently chair of renewable energy generator company Infinis Energy Management. He is also governor and deputy chairman of Warwick Independent Schools Foundation. APPOINTMENTS More than 91,000 SPIDS (supply point IDs) have switched since the opening of the non-domestic water retail market, according to the latest figures from Market Service Operator Limited (MOSL) published on 12 January. Everflow gained the most supply points in the English market, with a net gain of 13,357 since market opening. MOSL will publish its third CEO Quarterly Market Review on 25 January. Water Plus Castle Water Anglian Water Business NWG Business Business Stream Water2business Pennon Water Services Affinity for Business SSWB SES Business Water Everflow Clear Business Water The Water Retail Company Pod53 WATER SWITCHING NUMBERS, AS AT 2 JANUARY 2018 -30,000 -25,000 -20,000 -15,000 -10,000 -5,000 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 Number of supply points Water loss Sewerage loss Water gain Sewerage gain

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