Origami readies 50MW Gresham House Batteries for post-EFR markets

The leading energy storage fund in the UK, Gresham House Energy Storage Fund plc (GRID), has partnered with Origami, an independent energy technology platform for green energy assets, and battery optimiser Habitat Energy Ltd. Origami is preparing battery assets with a combined capacity of 50MW to participate initially in the Dynamic Containment (DC) and Wholesale Markets, following the discontinuation of National Grid’s Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) service.

In the fast-moving energy storage space, the canvas for ancillary grid services is in constant flux. To maximise the lifetime value of storage assets, owners need to be confident that their assets will be able to earn revenues by being dynamically optimised across the constantly changing ‘full-stack’ of revenue opportunities.

With the discontinuation of EFR, a service in place since late 2016, numerous battery assets throughout the UK require upgrades to participate in the new markets that are replacing it – such as Dynamic Containment (DC), Dynamic regulation (DR) and in the near future, Dynamic Moderation (DM).

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund plc is responding to this shift by using Origami’s platform at its 40MW Glassenbury A and 10MW Cleator projects, to manage the extraction and orchestration of operational data from the assets, enabling their participation in Dynamic Containment for the first time.  The move also future-proofs the assets’ ability to switch seamlessly between other current and emerging ancillary markets.

To make the assets compatible with DC, Origami is providing a combination of specialist router hardware installation and software interfacing, which will allow precisely controlled readings on battery output, capacity, and condition to be generated up to 20 times a second. Having fully integrated with the Origami platform, battery optimiser Habitat Energy will use this data stream to control and optimise the batteries on behalf of Gresham House Energy Storage Fund plc.

Ben Guest, Fund Manager of Gresham House Energy Storage Fund plc and Managing Director of New Energy at Gresham House, said: “As the door closed on EFR, we needed to make some changes to access new markets. By using Origami’s platform, and ensuring compatibility with our trading partner’s systems, we’ve enhanced the visibility and flow of data from the sites.  This means higher revenue potential today and greater agility when considering future revenue options.”

Dan Hodges, Head of Commercial at Origami, said: “In a market segment as dynamic and valuable as energy storage, asset owners face an ongoing challenge to avoid assets becoming temporarily stranded.  With the right digital infrastructure in place, these risks can be managed very effectively through swift, data-enabled actions. We’re pleased to have been trusted to solve this problem for Gresham House”.

Jon Doughty, UK Managing Director at Habitat Energy, said: “Reliable, transparent and timely data is fundamental to not only the optimal operation of battery storage assets but the wider energy transition.  We’re delighted to be working with Origami on this project with Gresham House Energy Storage Fund plc as they share our strong desire to provide best-in-class services to customers.”