Enfo ensures capacity in the electricity network .

There is a major lack of capacity in Sweden's electricity network. European research project CoordiNet and the regional initiative sthlmflex represent a step towards temporarily meeting this need. Enfo is one of the suppliers to have developed an integration solution that makes it possible for information regarding the current electricity capacity of network companies and other suppliers to be exchanged.

There is considerable demand for capacity in the electricity network in many parts of Sweden. The CoordiNet and sthlmflex projects aim to find solutions to today’s capacity shortage in the network.

Through CoordiNet, local flexibility can be requested for the electricity networks in Gotland, Uppsala and parts of Skåne, as well as when maintenance work on cables in northern Sweden are needed. The aim is to utilize flexibility to relieve the load on the electricity networks and enable the connection of additional electricity consumers. The project uses a digital marketplace for the electricity network capacity, where suppliers can sell flexibility. This means that, in return for payment, they reduce their demand or increase their electricity production for short periods of time.

One of the cornerstones of this work is integrating the IT systems from several network companies and other suppliers. The solution is based on modern APIs that provide the accurate exchange of information between systems. The integrations have been built on MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform CloudHub. CloudHub is a “Software as a Service” platform which means that customers do not need to establish, operate and manage the integration platform, which saves a great deal of time.

Traditional integration projects of this type usually take several years to implement, but a modern API-led approach and agile working methods made it possible to integrate nine separate electricity consumers within a few months. This short time for implementation was crucial given the critical situation facing the electricity network in Uppsala and Stockholm.

The successful outcome of the CoordiNet project led to the Swedish authority Svenska Kraftnät, the electricity distributor Vattenfall Eldistribution and the distribution network operator Ellevio deciding to implement the solution also in the joint sthlmflex project, with the aim to remove bottlenecks in the network around Stockholm. Within a short time, twelve additional electricity consumers could be added to the network owing the modern architecture which allowed for a high-level of reuse. In the two projects, Enfo was responsible for the integration of a total of 21 different systems.

“For us at Enfo, it is important to be involved in projects such as CoordiNet and sthlmflex, as the work has a major environmental and societal impact. Through our expertise in the field of integration, we can contribute to Sweden generating local flexibility in the electricity networks, which is crucial when it comes to guaranteeing the electricity supply,” says Kristina Lid, responsible for the integration within CoordiNet and sthlmflex at Enfo.

Image: Vattenfall