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NETWORK / 11 /MAY 2018 electricity and gas network innovation strategies set out priority areas of focus, where network companies can provide continuing benefits to custom- ers from innovation projects, as well as how they will share the lessons learnt from those pro- jects with other organisations to roll out the benefits more widely and better shape future innovation. These are key to identifying priority areas so that we can deliver against all of our challenges. This is also a major way for third parties to identify how they can help improve the networks through the 'network innovation collaboration portal'. This progress is part of a wider, fundamental change to the way our network infrastruc - ture operates, driven by decar- bonisation and new technology. Across the country, innovation will help network companies to enable new markets and provide new opportunities for consum - ers to have greater control over their energy bills. The maximum benefit to consumers will be delivered by taking a 'whole energy systems' approach that brings our gas and electricity networks more closely together, as WWU and WPD are already doing through the Freedom Project. Finding efficiencies and supporting the networks to work together will be crucial as to meet the UK's carbon budgets, because if our power, heat, transport and waste sectors are all interdependent, then so must the solutions to their decarbonisation. Our role is to deliver the integrated energy infrastructure that Britain needs to underpin those essential pillars of our economy whilst delivering lasting reductions to our carbon emissions. Decarbonisation is key Decarbonising our gas network is vital to decarbonise heat- ing. The current gas network provides 99.999 per cent supply reliability, which means that consumers very rarely lose their gas supply, even in the worst winters. As the gas network continues to evolve, we must en - sure this standard is maintained while enabling a range of low- carbon gases to be transported. Network innovation – through projects such as SGN's 'Opening Up the Gas Market' and Cadent's 'Future Billing Methodology' – is exploring these opportunities, and across the UK our distribu - tion networks have already con- nected 90 low carbon 'biometh- ane' plants. Building on the progress with biomethane, the networks are also exploring the potential for converting their grids to carry blended or pure hydrogen, which burns with no emissions at the point of use. The H21 pro - ject by Northern Gas Networks demonstrated the feasibility to converting the gas network in Leeds to 100 per cent hydrogen. The project would provide up to a 73 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions while also having a negligible impact on customer bills. All four gas distribution networks are now working together to deliver the next stage of this project and demonstrate the feasibility and safety of hydrogen across the UK. Electricity networks have already focussed on successful 'Network Improvements and System Operability' projects, which have gained major in - novation investment. Fault detection technology is a good example, which involves the use of new 'smart' technology to identify faults (or issues that could lead to faults) on electrici- ty networks. This is then relayed to the network to address issues remotely, reduce the time taken to repair the fault and in some cases prevent failure from occur - ring at all. Electricity networks are also focused on decarboni- sation of heat and transporta- tion. This includes connecting heat pumps and electric vehi- cles, and ensuring that we tran- sition to a DSO model, whereby networks are actively managed at a low voltage level, and new markets and technologies from industry are enabled. All of the electricity networks are trialling a range of smart grid projects to achieve this transition, which can be found on ENA's Smarter Networks Portal. Sharing knowledge Sharing this knowledge across all parts of our energy networks is key. During the successful Electricity Innovation Forum in March, ENA members discussed innovation projects funded by the Network Innovation Allow - ance. This inaugural dissemina- tion forum has been set up to ensure that the outputs, lessons and benefits of innovation pro- jects are shared across the in- dustry, including UK consumers. One such project is the 'Remote Asset Inertial Monitoring and Alerting Network, or in short RAINMAN. The project, by Scot- tish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN), aims to enable the network operator to quickly detect or prevent power cuts through a web-based server, allowing them to pin-point the exact location of anything unu- sual. Network companies there- fore can react much quicker to faults, as a result of weather or other events, ensuring that they maximise the benefit for customers, i.e. by increasing efficiency and minimising power outages. The projects described here, as well as those that can be found in the Smarter Networks Portal, have meant that innovation under RIIO price controls has become key to network companies' efforts to drive system transformation. The price control provides three strategic focuses of innovation, firstly, highlighting areas with maximum innovation opportu - nity that need to be addressed. Secondly, rolling out these innovations into 'business as usual' to provide the full benefit to all customers. Finally collabo - rating, which has the benefit of ensuring that all network companies, and in turn UK cus- tomers, benefit from the outputs of innovation projects. It is vital that we look at the success of innovation under RIIO-1 and ask how that might continue. Across all of these areas, energy networks are striving to innovate in new and exciting ways to benefit households, businesses and the wider econ - omy. The benefits of innovative technologies are extensive and help address the trilemma; creating safer, more reliable and decarbonised networks in an efficient way for customers. The publication of ENA's electricity and gas innovation strategies are just the latest example of how network companies can provide major benefits to customers from an assortment of innovation projects. The inno - vative technologies are helping us address the challenges and help provide opportunities to continue future proofing and decarbonising the networks giving the maximum benefits to customers.