MAT Foundry Group is pleased to announce that our Eurac Poole plant has been made finalists for the Breakthrough Solution of the Year category, at the 2019 S&P Global Platts Global Metals Awards. The nomination is for Eurac Poole and GridBeyond’s partnership on an innovative and pioneering approach to energy management, through the worlds first hybrid battery and demand network.

nomination Background

GridBeyond’s Hybrid Battery and Demand Network is a portfolio of commercial batteries and demand assets, connected over multiple sites and organisations, working in harmony to provide flexibility to the gird. This solution benefits sites with little energy flexibility to access the fastest responding balancing services, they would otherwise not be able to achieve on their own.

Eurac Poole pioneered the programme during 2018, becoming one of the first companies to implement such a unique solution. The technology enabled Eurac’s less flexible on-site assets, in particular older equipment that previously could not respond to DSR, to participate in the most dynamic programme. The partnership with GridBeyond enabled Eurac to access the innovative technology, that is superior to typical market alternatives due to its ability to control and combine batteries, generation, and loads assets across GridBeyond’s UK portfolio. 

The Hybrid Battery utlised by Eurac Poole, was a Tesla manufactured Battery solution and was installed on site, as pictured.

This innovative new technology enabled Eurac to decrease the plant’s reliance on the grid and return any surplus energy to the grid, thereby reducing the CO2 impact of energy demand in the community. Site efficiency, behind-the-meter generation and storage optimisation are reducing the site’s carbon-footprint, whilst participation in balancing services enables the grid to integrate more intermittent renewable energy into the system as a whole.

results

As a result of partnering with GridBeyond and utilising the Hybrid Battery and Demand Network, Eurac were able to receive an annual enhanced financial reward from Demand Side Response programmes in excess of £190K, coupled with a £50K Dynamic Price Optimisation by avoiding peak demand charges.

Lastly Eurac’s project with GridBeyond was delivered at no cost to the client and required no prior investment. The application of the technology carried no negative impact on the plants operational processes and significantly increased the robustness, safety and integrity of the site’s energy system.

awards ceremony

The S&P Global Platts Global Metals Awards, now in its 7^th year, is a competitive awards programme, honouring excellence and accomplishments in the global metals industry. Being recognised as a finalist or winner, brings recognition for the teams and individuals behind these outstanding achievements.

The Breakthrough Solution of the Year category acknowledges the work of an organisation in taking a promising metals production technology or process, trading platform or software tool and expanding its use or impact. The award recognises innovators or first movers, as well as those with the perseverance to transform an existing process or make it remarkably better.

An independent panel of international experts, whose background and experience include regulation, corporate leadership, trading and technology, will determine the award winners. Winners will be announced on the 16^th of May, at the awards evening in London. All finalists and other award details can be found here: https://gma.platts.com/Finalists/Finalists2019