SSEN Distribution has been awarded £380,000 for the 'Discovery' phase of three initiatives designed to reduce environmental impacts and disruption while improving how future networks are planned. The company said the trio of projects accounts for around half of this cycle's total Strategic Innovation Funding at the Discovery stage. The fund is delivered by Ofgem in partnership with Innovate UK.

Grounds for Change will test less intrusive methods for installing new underground electricity cables as demand rises from heat pumps and EV charging. Techniques under consideration include precise slot cutting, directional drilling and on‑site recycling of excavated material, with the aim of reducing waste, traffic management and disturbance to road users, pedestrians and residents. Project partners: Southampton City Council and the Energy Innovation Centre.

CREOS-OUT is focused on cutting the environmental footprint of creosote used to preserve the millions of wooden poles supporting overhead distribution lines. SSEN has more than one million poles on its network and replaces around 20,000 annually. The project will develop a biological cleaning solution using specific microbes to break down harmful chemicals in creosote, offering a safer, cost‑effective alternative to incineration. A viable bio‑detergent could avoid 6 million tonnes of wood waste every year and reduce transport-related costs and emissions. Project partners: The University of Strathclyde and The James Hutton Institute.

-- Advertisement --

The DIME project addresses a data gap around electricity usage by small and medium‑sized enterprises, where smart meters are less widely deployed than in homes. Using smart modelling, DIME will generate accurate, dynamic load profiles for SMEs so their needs can be factored into local network planning, improving efficiency and value for customers. Project partners: Frontier Economics, CGI and Southampton City Council.

Frank Clifton, Innovation Manager at SSEN Distribution, said: "These innovations now green lit for further development are rooted in common sense, a commitment to delivering greater customer value, and care for our environment.

"We've devised these ideas based on what customers tell us they care about, and this Discovery funding means we can take them forward, and make them even better.

"Coming up with ways of doing things differently is only going to become more important as we increasingly deliver innovations in our day-to-day work, and I'm eager to see how these ideas now develop.

"Our project partners are always an integral part of these journeys, and it's been great to have the chemistry department at The University of Strathclyde, and the Energy Innovation Centre involved for the first time, bringing expertise from other sectors and small innovators to the fore."