Costain has announced a new partnership with Flexitricity.

Flexitricity, an Edinburgh-based firm, specialises in demand side balancing services, offering STOR (Short Term Operating Reserve) Footroom, Frontline and Triad management to partner sites.

It is these services that will be added to Costain's COdemand portfolio that was launched in March of this year to allow customers to gain access to a new revenue stream, while contributing to grid balancing services.

• Flexitricity Frontline reacts to a low-frequency deviation (49.7 Hz) and triggers a balancing response, by either reducing consumption or increasing generation instantaneously. The assets which can provide Flexitricity Frontline are pumps, HVAC systems, cold storage compressors and diesel rotary uninterruptable power supplies (DRUPS).

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• STOR is procured by the National Grid to balance the grid for short periods, when unforeseen circumstances create a need for additional generation, such as during morning demand uplift and evening rush hour. During these times, STOR providers, on request of Flexitricity, reduce their consumption or utilise onsite standby generation to support the grid.

• Flexitricity Footroom provides the National Grid with an effective mechanism to utilise wind-generated energy, at times when system demand is low. This use of renewable energy negates the need to otherwise curtail active wind farms in order to balance the grid.

• A majority of industrial and commercial customers have TNUoS – or 'Triad' – charges passed to them by their electricity supplier. Flexitricity's triad management service reduces customer consumption during the three triad periods of winter. Triad periods are identified by National Grid in March each year when GB consumption peaks are known, and then industrial and commercial customers are charged in proportion to their usage during the periods. Where customers can reduce their consumption, charges are lower, and Flexitricity uses a range of data sources to forecast these peaks and reduce customer site consumption.

In a statement, Costain said the addition of the above services will allow it to increase its breadth of offerings and use the expertise, knowledge of the demand response market and expert partners to benefit its customers.

(JP/IT)