EVALUATION

AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF THE LCNF
Relevance and timing 4
Assessment:
The project has been / is ready to roll out into BAU.
The project has a high likelihood of being replicated by other DNOs.
Evidence:
The learning from the LCH has shown there is both a significant appetite and opportunities to further
implement Alternative Connections across the wider areas to cost effectively unlock further generation
capacity. The implementation is most suitable to areas where there are already widespread network
constraints, significant demand for further generation connections and diversity between demand and
generation profiles.
Within Western Power Distribution, Alternative Connections were not previously considered a Business as
Usual activity. East Lincolnshire was the first ANM implementation and there has been a commitment to
implement Alternative Connections across all four WPD licence areas with 11 new zones opened by 2023.
Each will use the Alternative Commercial agreements developed as part of the project.
As part of the internal implementation, ANM policies and Standard Techniques have been written for
offering alternative connections as a BaU process, WPD’s 200+ planners have been trained how to offer
alternative connection offers, and WPD has changed its core database to facilitate the alternative
connections.
WPD is developing a core constraints analysis tool that will eventually be used for calculating constraints in
all ANM areas using the learning generated from the project.
At the end of the project, all DNOs have been offered one to one meetings in their offices to further
disseminate WPD’s, and their own, learning.
In developing WPD’s Alternative Connections, discussions were held with both SSE and UKPN to help
coordinate the development and trials of new commercial agreements as part of innovative projects.
Importantly, these discussions also helped us and these other DNOs benefit the customer by standardising
on new commercial terms and language. The direct feedback from the DNOs and wider stakeholders at
WPD’s commercial agreements dissemination events supported this approach.
Discussion and feedback indicated that the project appears to have high likelihood of being replicated by
other DNOs.
References:
• Low Carbon Hub project closedown report, 27 th May 2015.
PÖYRY MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
October 2016
713_Poyry_Report_Evaluation_of_the_LCNF_FINAL_Oct_2016_v700.docx
193