A new smart charging partnership between energy company SSE and Netherlands firm Jedlix will help tackle challenges with balancing the grid while benefiting EV drivers with lower energy bills.

SSE’s partnership with Jedlix will tackle the grid-balancing challenges faced by networks, and will also reward EV customers for enabling a more sustainable and robust energy system

The partnership will allow domestic customers with EV charging to provide flexibility into the balancing market at times of system need, creating a ‘virtual power plant’, while reducing their energy bills.

It will also help users and partners of the Jedlix EV smart charging service, such as car manufacturers and charge point operators, minimise costs through SSE’s access to the balancing mechanism.

The partnership is the latest venture within SSE’s strategy to build a portfolio of distributed energy resources, to provide energy and grid services.

And looking ahead, the two companies envisage entering other flexibility markets such as providing services to the Distribution Network Operators.

Stephen Stead, director of strategy and digital services at SSE Energy Solutions, said: “Acting as a network of hundreds of thousands of mobile batteries, EVs can help reduce renewable energy assets’ dependency on traditional battery storage by creating a Virtual Power Plant that can provide the grid with greater system flexibility.

“Our milestone partnership with Jedlix will not only help tackle the grid-balancing challenges faced by networks, but reward EV customers for enabling a more sustainable and robust energy system.”

Serge Subiron, CEO at Jedlix, added: “By opening the capacity to bid on the balancing mechanism, we have the perfect set-up to enable existing and new B2B platform partners and also local energy retailers.

“We welcome local innovators in the e-mobility and energy domain to join our initiative to make sure any EV driver charging in any situation can benefit from smart charging.”