ESO, which happens to be Britain’s National Grid, happens to be leading the development when it comes to leading the digital twin-focused energy system data sharing infrastructure as an element of its Virtual Energy System programme.
By way of a memorandum of understanding with the government-led National Digital Twin Programme, both parties seek to partner so as to ensure there is a sync as well as interoperability that lies between the energy system data sharing infrastructure as well as the latter’s cross-sector integration architecture, which happens to be under development.
The basic focus is on making sure to develop an integrated high-level technical design and architecture that tracks the interfaces when it comes to the components of the future energy system data sharing infrastructure.
It also has the objective to scope the technical process along with the policy requirements so as to achieve and develop an integrated minimum viable product that both programmes can make use of so as to practically demonstrate connected digital twins.
According to the Chief Information Officer at the ESO, Shubhi Rajnish, they are indeed excited to ink this Memorandum of Understanding with the National Digital Twin Programme so as to look at the components when it comes to developing an energy sector data sharing infrastructure.
She adds that this partnership is indeed a major step in terms of energy digitalization and the objective of enabling secure as well as resilient exchange of data throughout the sector in order to support the delivery of a zero-carbon energy system across Great Britain by 2035.
It is well to be noted that the Virtual Energy System programme from National Grid ESO has the intent to enable the creation of an ecosystem that has connected digital twins of the entire energy system of Great Britain, functioning in synchronization with the physical system.
Apparently, it is also proposed to include representations concerning electricity and gas assets along with link-ups to other sectors so as to enable secure as well as resilient sharing of energy data all throughout the organizational and sector boundaries and thereby facilitate intricate scenario modelling so as to deliver optimal whole-system decision making.
The programme got launched in December 2021, and in March 2022, the National Grid ESO happened to be awarded funding so as to develop the principles as well as a technical framework that was undertaken with Arup, which is the Energy Systems Catapult and Icebreaker One.
It is worth noting that since November 2022, a framework that’s a common demonstrator has been under creation, which is planned to showcase the advantages during the current year.
Numerous investigations along with recommendations in Britain have gone on to focus on the requirement for energy sector-wide data sharing, as indeed they have with the emphasis on digitalization elsewhere and also in other sectors.
The National Digital Twin Programme, which happens to be led by the government’s Department for Business and Trade, looks to enhance the national capability in digital twin technologies, with its main objective being to create the standards, processes, as well as tools that will go on to build the basis of a functioning market when it comes to digital twins.
