Enel X, the Enel Group’s advanced energy services business line, was confirmed once again as Ireland’s demand response leader following the award of 154 MW of capacity in the latest auction held by EirGrid Group, Ireland’s Transmission System Operator (TSO), between October 1st, 2019 and September 30th, 2020. The company will manage 36% of demand response in the island’s capacity market over the period.

“With this award, we will keep on contributing to Ireland’s security and sustainability of energy supply in our role as the leading provider of demand response resources,” said Tony Whittle, Head of Enel X Ireland. “Industrial and commercial businesses are playing an increasingly key role in the active transformation of the island’s electricity system. Our history in – and deep knowledge of – the local electricity market positions us well to facilitate participation of businesses in demand response, which in turn provides them opportunities to create new value.”

The 2019-2020 delivery period will be the second for Ireland’s capacity market, which integrates the electricity market of Ireland with the rest of Europe under a new wholesale market arrangement, the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM). This new market design can create more opportunities for dynamic transactions and trading, with the aim to facilitate the integration of more renewables in the system, and ultimately to drive more efficient wholesale electricity pricing across the region.

Demand response programmes are set up to pay large commercial and industrial (C&I) energy customers, such as manufacturing facilities, data centres, and commercial real estate companies, to adjust their energy demand by either reducing or increasing their power consumption, with the aim to stabilise the grid. The Irish demand response programme pays users year round for being on standby, ready to respond in the event of a grid emergency, as well as providing incremental payments if and when they reduce their energy demand from the grid.

Enel X, through its local subsidiary, has been providing demand response services in Ireland since 2011, and became the capacity market leader in this segment for the inaugural 2018-2019 delivery period.