Case Study: National Energy System Operator achieves a future-ready, zero-carbon grid platform with IBM Consulting

IBM Consulting helps Great Britain’s National Energy System Operator (NESO) balance the electricity grid, creating a platform fit for a zero-carbon, sustainable future

National Energy System Operator (NESO), Great Britain’s electricity system operator, needed to modernize an aging balancing system built for fossil-fuel generation so it could handle the rapid growth of renewable energy and support net-zero goals. Working with IBM Consulting, NESO set out to create an Open Balancing Platform that could manage thousands of smaller market participants more flexibly, securely, and cost-effectively.

IBM Consulting implemented the new platform on Red Hat OpenShift, using a modular microservices architecture and hybrid cloud foundation to improve scalability, resilience, and speed of delivery. The results included a 90% reduction in user input, 200+ new microservice versions released after 16 sprints, and zero hours of downtime during releases and patches. IBM also helped NESO increase average battery dispatch volume by 283% and save an estimated 37,400 metric tons of CO2 since launch, with expected consumer savings of GBP 15 million per year.

National Energy System Operator

Brendan Lyons

Balancing Program Director