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Currently the UK's biggest end users of electricity, the railways, are simply passive recipients of huge volumes of power. But they have the potential to be active system players.
About
Riding Sunbeams is a world-leading innovator on a corporate mission to decarbonise rail traction networks through the development and connection of unsubsidised, direct-wire renewable energy supply, with major social impact for line-side communities.
Key Benefits
There are around 125 rail traction bulk supply points connecting the GB electrified rail network to the transmission and distribution networks. Unlocking rail traction BSPs to enable export on commercial terms for the first time will support a range of vital network objectives on net zero such as increasing the connection of new renewable energy generation and rapid EV charging as well as enhanced system flexibility.
Applications
Energy networks and rail networks need to be brought together far more interactively than has been the case historically. Co-locating grid-scale storage at rail BSPs and enabling two way power flows between the traction system and the distribution and transmission networks will empower railways to actively support whole system transition.