Decarbonising industry is central to achieving net zero, yet it remains highly complex and varies by location. With no single pathway for factories and plants to cut emissions, uncertainty must be built into how the electricity network evolves.

SP Energy Networks has launched its Net Zero Industrial Pathways (NZIP) initiative to place real site-level plans at the heart of network planning. In partnership with Net Zero Energy Systems, NZIP establishes a structured, collaborative approach that examines each participating site's current energy use, existing network connections, preferred technology routes (from full electrification and hydrogen to hybrid and efficiency-led options), and how demand is likely to change over time. The outputs align with wider system planning and feed directly into the company's Distribution Future Energy Scenarios (DFES) and Network Development Plan (NDP), helping target upgrades precisely where and when they are needed.

The programme is designed to benefit the whole energy system. Local businesses gain confidence that capacity planning reflects their decarbonisation timelines, reducing connection risks and supporting investment and jobs; local authorities gain clearer visibility of future energy needs for spatial and economic planning; regulators and system operators receive more robust, transparent inputs for national demand projections; and SP Energy Networks can better time and locate investment, improving capital efficiency and strengthening regulatory justification.

Robbie MacQuarrie, Lead Energy Systems Specialist and NZIP Project Manager at SP Energy Networks, said: "Industrial businesses are at the heart of the energy transition, but there is no single route to decarbonisation. Understanding how sites plan to evolve is essential to ensuring the network is ready to support future growth and investment.

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"Through NZIP, we're working collaboratively with businesses to build a clearer picture of future energy requirements. We're encouraging industrial organisations across our licence areas to get involved so their plans can help inform future network development and investment decisions."

Building on the North East Wales Industrial Decarbonisation (NEWID) project, which proved the value of site-level engagement, NZIP is now being scaled across SP Energy Networks' licence areas in Scotland, England and Wales. The insights are shaping DFES and the NDP by improving forecasts of local energy needs and pinpointing the upgrades required to meet them. To date, the team has assessed hundreds of industrial sites across sectors such as manufacturing, chemicals and heavy industry; collaborated with dozens of major stakeholders and industrial clusters; mapped hundreds of megawatts (MW) of potential future demand; and improved visibility of when and where that demand is likely to materialise. Early engagement is already helping align network planning with major industrial investment timelines.

By increasing forecasting accuracy, NZIP is expected to contribute to £6m–£20m in network investment efficiencies during the RIIO-ED3 period, supporting a secure, timely and cost-effective transition to net zero.

Meghan Davies, Energy and Net Zero Programme Manager, Ambition North Wales, said: "At Ambition North Wales, we recognise that delivering economic growth and achieving our net zero ambitions go hand in hand. The work undertaken through NEWID and now NZIP provides valuable evidence to support strategic planning for major opportunities such as the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone, Anglesey Freeport, and wider industrial decarbonisation projects across the region.

"Continued collaboration between industry, network operators and regional partners is essential to ensure the energy infrastructure needed for future investment is delivered in the right place, at the right time, enabling North Wales to realise its full low-carbon economic potential."

Next, NZIP will extend its geographic reach, deepen sector-specific engagement, and enhance modelling granularity as it builds a more complete picture of industrial site data. Over time, the evidence base could inform national planning frameworks and whole-system coordination, strengthening collaboration with regional and national stakeholders to ensure the wider system is ready for decarbonisation at scale.

Industrial operators and business clusters across SP Energy Networks' areas are invited to participate so their plans can inform future network development and investment decisions. To find out more or to take part, contact [email protected] or get in touch with your usual network planning contact.