en.Wedoany.com Reported - French utility EDF, in partnership with Duracell licensee Puredrive Energy, plans to deploy approximately 50 Duracell Energy residential battery systems in England from June to August 2026 as part of a pilot project. Owners of these batteries will have the opportunity to earn compensation by participating in local flexibility markets, helping to stabilize their region and responding to signals from Distribution System Operators (DSOs).
Recent price volatility and grid bottlenecks have highlighted the need to build a more flexible and resilient grid that balances supply and demand in real time. As renewable energy generation grows and technologies such as electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home storage become more widespread, demand-side services are becoming a critical component for maintaining system reliability and efficiency. The UK National Infrastructure Commission estimates that broader use of these services could reduce required investment in distribution networks by approximately 15%, saving up to £7.9 billion by 2050.
In this pilot, EDF will oversee participation in local markets, including tender selection, dispatch strategies, and operations; Puredrive Energy will handle customer recruitment, onboarding, and daily interactions. Building on Duracell Energy's existing battery optimization solutions, the project aims to test how smaller-scale distributed battery assets can collectively provide valuable services to the grid, inform future grid service programs, and create additional revenue streams for participants.
Mark Millar, CEO of Puredrive Energy, stated that the pilot aims to demonstrate that Duracell Energy battery owners can play a significant role in strengthening local networks and be rewarded for the value they provide. John Grant-Arrowsmith, Senior Manager for Flexible Partnerships in EDF's Commercial and Wholesale Services division, added that distributed batteries have immense potential where support is most needed, and this pilot will help showcase how to unlock that value at scale.
This initiative is a step toward bringing such services into the mainstream, unlocking the full value of distributed storage for consumers, network operators, and the broader energy system.
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