New project with NESO: Managing Large Interconnector Moves (MLIM)

N-SIDE is proud to announce the kick-off of the NESO MLIM Project!

N-SIDE, partnering with CompassLexecon, has officially begun the “Managing Large Interconnector Moves” (MLIM) project with NESO (the UK’s National Energy System Operator).

This collaborative innovation project is funded under the NESO Network Innovation Allowance Research and Development Collaboration Agreement, seeking to enhance control room decision-making through the application of AI, machine learning, and optimisation. The MLIM project in itself aims to improve interconnector (IC) flow forecasting and enhance the assessment of operational risks associated with unpredictable IC flow changes.

This work is crucial because the costs for NESO, associated with managing interconnectors, are becoming increasingly significant. This trend is expected to intensify in the future, with GB IC capacity increasing from 9.8 GW to 16–27 GW by 2035. This planned expansion aims to enhance electricity exchange with other countries, supporting the transition to a cleaner energy system.

However, the current challenges are significant: unregulated fluctuations in IC flow movements lead to large imbalance volumes, unnecessary operational costs, and present potential risks and failures in electricity operations. 

In this innovation project, N-SIDE brings expertise in machine learning, advanced analytics, and energy markets to achieve the following goals:

• Identify the factors causing currently unexplained IC movements, 
• Forecast large IC movements, and, 
• Eventually improve NESO’s Electricity National Control Centre (ENCC) confidence in dispatching generating units.

Through rigorous data analysis, we look forward to delivering results that will reduce unnecessary market services, improve cost balancing, lead to more confident operational decisions, and ultimately enhance the UK energy system’s security.

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