Our Innovation team is excited to share how we’re driving change at the Energy Innovation Summit in Exhibition Centre Liverpool next week. We'll be presenting how our innovations are making a difference today and preparing us for the future.
The event, organised by the Energy Networks Association with support from Ofgem, is the UK’s flagship dissemination event for electricity and gas networks.
We caught up with three of our presenters to find out more about their projects.
Niyati Dave – Fairer Warmth Hub
Niyati is a Future Innovation Project Manager. She leads projects that range from helping vulnerable customers to exploring how waste heat can be used.
Niyati is working with Andrew Ross, the Founder of the Centre for Energy Equality, to talk about the Fairer Warmth Hub. The hub is a virtual space which connects stakeholders involved in the net zero energy transition through a whole systems approach.
A whole systems approach is critical for meeting net zero targets by considering the entire energy landscape, rather than focusing on isolated systems.
The hub will provide technology agnostic tools and guidance to help local authorities deliver their energy plans and empower bill payers, including those who are vulnerable and fuel poor.
Niyati said: “We are excited to highlight all the innovative work we have been doing at Fairer Warmth Hub. We really look forward to inviting thought leaders across the entire energy ecosystem to support us on our journey towards a more impactful, fair and just net zero transition.”
Thomas Jackson – FYLD Predictive Safety Interventions
Thomas has over a decade of experience as an operational engineer in SGN and now works in our Innovation team as a Project Manager.
His project, Predictive Safety Interventions, helps both engineers and managers stay informed, enabling smarter, safer decision-making in the field. Working together with FYLD, the project enhances operational safety using artificial intelligence (AI) and historical data such as cable strikes. By using a dynamic risk assessment it provides real-time hazard detection, lowering the risk of incidents.
Thomas said: “We are attending the Summit to showcase our commitment to safety and operational excellence. It’s a great opportunity to foster collaborations with other innovators, passing on our knowledge and learning from others.
“We want to share how we’re leveraging AI and data to predict and mitigate safety risks. Our project has immense potential to help keep field engineers safer, throughout the rest of our industry and beyond.”
Innes Maciver - Velocity Design with Hydrogen
Innes is a Future of Energy Project manager with over 21 years’ experience in the gas and utilities industry. He has recently been focusing on network safety and transitioning the gas network to hydrogen.
The Velocity Design with Hydrogen project aims to find a new speed limit for hydrogen, which needs to move faster through pipes to deliver the same amount of energy. We are running full-scale tests with our partners DNV Spadeadam at their facility in Cumbria. These tests will help us confirm safe limits for hydrogen speed to prevent damage from erosion, vibration, noise, and particles.
Innes said: “The opportunity to present this project and its initial findings at the Energy Innovation Summit is vital in ensuring engagement across the wider industry and raising awareness of the work being done to validate the use of hydrogen on Great Britain's gas network.”
