Electricity networks recognise the need to address the environmental impacts of their global supply chains now more than ever.
The NATURE project, led by Accenture in partnership with National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and SP Energy Networks (SPEN), analysed nature and biodiversity risks in supply chains by bringing together purchasing data, scientific approaches and location-based analysis.
The project team developed an innovative and replicable tool that can help identify nature-related risks and opportunities, laying the groundwork for more sustainable purchasing and stronger engagement with suppliers across the transmission sector.
As electricity networks pursue net zero, they must also consider their impact and dependency on nature; the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) set out targets for businesses and nations to align ambition on addressing their biodiversity risks and dependencies.
Despite this, questions remain around the nature-related risks in electricity transmission supply chains, including material extraction and manufacturing, plus transportation, that are affecting ecosystems across the world.
With guidance from frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), networks could be unprepared for future reporting requirements without adequate understanding of their nature-related supply chain impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities.
The NATURE project responded to this urgent need by co-creating a methodology and interactive dashboard to map and assess supply chain impacts on biodiversity. It identified key procurement categories and geographies with the highest nature risks, helping partners make more responsible, informed decisions.
Crucially, the work also established a collaborative, pre-competitive foundation for joint industry action, enabling the networks to use their purchasing power to drive sector-wide improvements in supply chain sustainability.
The project created a replicable, science-informed approach to evaluating nature-related risks and opportunities in electricity transmission supply chains. Through a combination of procurement data, readily available global nature and biodiversity datasets and geospatial analysis, the project produced actionable insights and an interactive dashboard for each partner.
Environmental benefits include identifying critical nature and biodiversity dependencies, enabling targeting of actions that can reduce upstream habitat degradation, water stress, and pollution. The methodology helps networks embed nature-positive strategies into procurement and material sourcing.
Financial benefits arise from improved supply chain resilience through better risk management and more strategic supplier engagement, which in-turn can reduce costs through lowering instances of nature-related supply disruptions which can create commodity price increases.
Social benefits stem from enabling collaborative and pre-competitive action across the sector and improving transparency. The work fosters early alignment with evolving regulatory frameworks like the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and supports internal education for teams across procurement, risk, and sustainability.
The project has already strengthened engagement between the networks and externally, forming a practical basis for broader nature-positive procurement practices across the UK’s electricity infrastructure.
There are approximately 2,000 off-grid properties across the UK that are without access to both electricity and gas mains/grid connections. People living in such homes face a range of socio-economic challenges.
As network operators across the UK strive to hit net zero targets, additional considerations must be made as to how these off-grid properties can be effectively decarbonised.
This project aimed to provide network operators the insight required to plan and justify future developments and understand how they could work in practice. This included reviewing relevant policy and regulation, exploring the physical, social and cultural nature of off-grid living and assessing potential decarbonisation solutions alongside the barriers to their delivery.
The project set out to look beyond technical feasibility, aiming to understand the full picture of decarbonising off-grid communities. It considered not only cost and engineering challenges, but also the social, cultural and practical realities of the people who live in these homes. This meant designing solutions that could be reliable, sustainable and acceptable to occupants.
The work began with targeted engagement in Northumberland, the north Yorkshire moors and north Lincolnshire, before including additional communities. This allowed the team to capture a diverse range of household experiences. In total, approximately 30 households provided valuable insights into energy use, efficiency measures and perceptions of potential low-carbon options.
Additionally, input from energy networks, local authorities and community representatives contributed to shaping realistic future scenarios for these areas. This process:
The project produced key outputs including a literature review, qualitative findings and a full report synthesising the insights. A concise policy and brief is also being developed for stakeholders.
These outputs were positively received by network companies, who found the customer-focused insights valuable in shaping low-carbon technology advice and broader decarbonisation strategies. Whilst the project didn’t advance technology readiness levels, it identified opportunities for further research.
The project highlighted potential benefits in the following areas:
Arceptive will develop a role-based access control system for intelligent electronic devices (IED) in National Grid’s electricity substations, integrating near-field communication (NFC), biometrics and legacy compatibility. The project will enhance security, operational reliability and compliance, reduce unauthorised access and service disruption risks, and improve efficiency. The solution is interoperable, future-proof and cost-effective, delivering tangible benefits to network operators and customers.
The project addresses security and management of IEDs in electricity substations, which control and automate equipment such as circuit breakers, transformers and capacitor banks.
Historically, ‘set-and-forget’ IEDs have broad, unsophisticated access controls, creating vulnerabilities that could potentially allow unauthorised access, operational disruption, outages and safety risks. Current protections (lockable cabinets, physical keys and basic passwords) are inadequate, as keys can be lost or duplicated and passwords poorly managed.
These weaknesses compromise power system integrity, reliability and customer service. The project aims to develop an advanced role-based access control (RBAC) solution, integrating technologies such as NFC and biometrics to secure and manage IED access, strengthening overall grid security and operational reliability.
Arceptive is a pioneering tech firm providing software services including UI/UX design, software development, mobile applications and AI analytics. They specialise in cloud and on-premises infrastructure, internet of things (IoT) and hardware integration. Committed to end-to-end solutions, Arceptive ensures seamless design, development, deployment, operations and maintenance to support optimal business performance.
The innovation implements a comprehensive RBAC system for secure management of IEDs in electricity substations.
It uses a centralised authentication and authorisation server managing credentials and permissions via protocols such as lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) or remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS), enabling real-time access management and seamless integration. Cutting-edge authentication methods, including NFC tags and biometrics, enhance security, while bridging software ensures compatibility with legacy IEDs.
The holistic approach addresses multifaceted security challenges, combining advanced technology with interoperability across diverse manufacturers to create an adaptable, future-proof model. The solution delivers value for money through reduced unauthorised access, improved operational efficiency and minimised service disruption risks.
By leveraging existing infrastructure and focusing on technology integration, it provides a cost-effective pathway to strengthened security, operational reliability and industry compliance, benefiting both network operators and customers.
