The power grid is under strain during periods of high demand, requiring innovative solutions to maintain stability. Load shedding, a practice that requires the collaboration of industry in particular, is emerging as an effective response to these challenges. As implementation is complex, partners such as Purecontrol and Agregio Solutions are facilitating its execution, paving the way for a more accessible and sustainable energy transition for all businesses.

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Electrical flexibility: a challenge for manufacturers

At certain times of the year, particularly during cold snaps, the power grid can experience periods of voltage. This is due to an imbalance between rising energy consumption and stable or falling energy production. To avoid load shedding or power cuts and maintain this balance, flexibilities are essential, whether in generation or consumption.

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RTE, the French Transmission System Operator, is forecasting a need for 17 GW of flexible energy resources by 2050, compared to the 3 GW possible today*. To maintain the balance of the network, RTE asks certain industries to reduce their electricity consumption over short periods (peaks) and to carry over this consumption to a less tense period. In return, these industries receive remuneration.

This mechanism, known as “load shedding”, not only helps to stabilize the grid, but also reduces the use of the more carbon-intensive and costly means of electricity generation (gas, coal, fuel oil) usually mobilized during these periods.

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Bypassing the disincentives to electric power reduction

Although load shedding has many advantages, it can be complex to implement, especially for small industrial sites. Requests for load shedding can be sent out only a few hours in advance and unpredictably, requiring a degree of flexibility. And this depends on a number of factors: automated production lines, the need for continuity of service and production, team availability, etc. Stopping or reducing electricity consumption can disrupt production lines, leading to delays or reduced productivity, and even affect product quality in sectors where production processes are sensitive to interruptions (metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, etc.).

Implementing load shedding requires advanced technologies to monitor and control consumption in real time, and specialized expertise to integrate load shedding management into existing energy management systems so that they can respond rapidly to load shedding requests. 

 
Purecontrol, an expert in real-time control of industrial sites, and Agregio Solutions, an aggregated load shedding operator and leader in flexibilities in France, have set themselves apart by automatically facilitating operations and covering risks with a new offer for controlling and optimizing industrial processes, enabling load shedding without disrupting activity and maintaining quality of service.

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Electricity shedding optimized with Purecontrol and valorized by Agregio Solutions

As a partner, Purecontrol receives clearing signals directly from Agregio Solutions on D-1. The algorithms developed by Purecontrol then automatically assess the possibility of deletion for each site, thanks to an accurate forecast of the system's status during and after deletion. If deletion is deemed possible, it is then managed automatically, from system preparation to temporary equipment shutdown.

Thanks to its expertise, Agregio Solutions is able to sell such load shedding on the energy market. And for the service rendered to the power system, the value created is returned to the customer. 

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Equipment control is adjusted accordingly, shifting consumption to optimize load shedding while respecting business constraints. The same mechanism is repeated for each load-shedding request, without compromising production or service quality. 

At the end of the winter period, Agregio Solutions and Purecontrol take stock of the situation, calculate the variable bonus on the basis of the load shedding achieved, and pay the bonus to the participating companies.

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An eco-gesture now within reach for small industrial sites

The partnership between Purecontrol and Agregio Solutions makes the benefits of load shedding accessible to a wider range of industries, including those with more modest load shedding capacities. Traditionally, only large installations could participate in load shedding programs, due to their significant power output. Purecontrol and Agregio Solutions pave the way for smaller industrial sites: by joining a pool of participating companies, these sites can now enjoy the benefits of load shedding, even at lower power levels. By managing operations centrally, companies can pool their efforts, enabling them to reach the power thresholds required for effective participation in load shedding.

This turnkey offer facilitates the adoption of load shedding for businesses, thanks to optimized management and automated coordination of operations. By simplifying processes, Purecontrol and Agregio Solutions democratize load shedding, increasing the overall capacity of load shedding.

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