Icebreaker One, in partnership with SSEN Transmission, SSEN Distribution, IBM and Palantir is working on the NIMBUS (Network Innovation and Meteorology to BUild for Sustainability) project, which aims to accelerate the transition to net zero by prolonging the life of energy system assets. 

This project is funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem managed in partnership with Innovate UK.

The project will support improving the reliability of asset design, investment and operations through the introduction of new, granular data sources.

Extreme weather conditions are known to accelerate the degradation of assets but yet to be quantified. NIMBUS aims to deliver an effective way for meteorological effects to be quantified and integrated into standard common asset risk estimation methodologies and asset management capabilities for Transmission and Distribution Network Operators.

The discovery phase of the project focused on developing a business-driven use case through in-depth analysis of sector and user needs for improved asset risk methodologies for the design, maintenance and decision-making of electricity assets. The project is currently in its Alpha phase, during which the findings of the discovery phase will be demonstrated.

Over the coming months we will be convening stakeholders through an Advisory Group to ensure the development of the NIMBUS programme meets user needs across relevant organisations.

If you would like to get involved with the Advisory Group to help shape and prolong the future of energy assets, please get in touch with icebreaking@ib1.org or find out more information here.