In a new cross-sector consortium, Enzen is partnering with utilities multinational EDF to accelerate the use of low-carbon technologies in the UK.
Project Gaia will see Enzen deploy its deep domain knowledge of electricity networks to help determine the commercial viability of deploying heat pumps in high-density areas, as part of the UK Government’s net zero strategy.
Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and funded through its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), the Project Gaia consortium also comprises Devon County Council, Kensa Utilities, University College London, the University of Sheffield and EDF group company consultancy Urbanomy.
In 2020, the UK Government set a goal of installing up to 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 as a greener alternative to traditional gas boilers. To accelerate their use, BEIS has launched Stream 1, Phase 1 of its Heat Pump Ready Programme, which will fund eleven different projects across the UK to develop new methodologies for the coordination of high-density domestic heat pump deployment.
One of these is Project Gaia, led by EDF’s Research and Development team and taking place in Newton Abbot, Devon. Enzen will collaborate with the region’s electricity network Western Power Distribution (WPD) to analyse network data and determine the necessary reinforcements and associated costs on WPD's network so it can accommodate the heat pumps.
Sanjay Neogi, CEO of Enzen UK and Europe, said: “Enzen is proud to be using its network analysis knowledge in this exciting new cross-sector collaboration. The UK’s drive to net zero will require creativity, collaboration and innovative solutions. Project Gaia is an excellent example of this. We look forward to enabling EDF and the rest of the consortium to learn how the UK can maximise the potential of domestic heat pumps and accelerate the decarbonisation of the country’s energy networks.”
To learn more about Enzen's role in Project Gaia, please download the press release here. More information on the UK Government's Heat Pump Ready Programme is available here.