Vattenfall IDNO to connect new solar project to help lower the carbon impact of Ai and reduce strain on the UK grid

Vattenfall IDNO have signed a contract with Serconnect Ltd to provide a new grid connection for a Helios Power Ai Solutions project in Huddersfield. The project will deliver an 11 kV point of connection for a 177KW solar installation at Manor House Farm, connecting to a point of supply at 400 Volts. 

Helios Power Ai Solutions are working to make Ai more sustainable by providing access to distributed data centers which are fed power from renewable assets such as Solar, Wind and BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems). By doing so they aim to enable Ai to scale up and grow in usage without putting strain on the grid. 

The Helios Power Ai solution is a platform that uses blockchain technology. It allows people to rent powerful computer hardware (Ai GPUs) for running Ai tasks. Additionally, it offers a marketplace where customers can buy and sell products and services related to renewable energy. The whole system uses a special digital token called the Helios Power token for transactions. The Ai software is in development, and the site is currently export only until it’s ready for testing (selling power back to the grid and not consuming it onsite).

This ground-breaking project – the first of its kind in the UK - aims to minimize the rapidly growing energy impact of Ai and blockchain technology by incentivizing the use of renewable-powered infrastructure and token-based ecosystems. Helios Power’s custom mining units are designed for renewable energy environments and can be installed on any solar farm providing a profit share mechanism for asset owners.

This is a ground-breaking project which aims to minimize the rapidly growing energy impact of Ai and blockchain technology by incentivizing the use of renewable-powered infrastructure and token-based ecosystems. We are hoping that this is a product which could be rolled out to many existing Solar Farms across the world to supply Ai the sustainable power it requires, whilst reducing the strain on grid systems.  

Vattenfall IDNO’s Asset Adoption Value contributed to the reduction of the overall cost of the project, which was a key factor in Helios Power Ai Solutions decision to proceed with the project. Manor House Farm will benefit from a rental income for the use of their roof space and housing the technology for the data platform infrastructure.

This is the first contract which Vattenfall IDNO has signed with Serconnect Ltd, which has an anticipated energisation date in Q3 of 2025.

Stewart Dawson, Managing Director, Vattenfall IDNO said:

"We are proud to be adopting the new grid connection for Manor House Farm, in Huddersfield This is our first project with Serconnect, and we look forward to building a strong partnership and delivering many more together. At Vattenfall IDNO, we are committed to enabling the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, and the energy optimization and Ai technology involved in this project is another step towards that goal."

Richard Kapelko, Co-Founder / Director, Helios Power Ai Solutions said:

“We’re delighted to see the grid connection for Manor House Farm moving forward to support our project in Huddersfield The Asset Adoption Value paid by Vattenfall IDNO provides a useful contribution by helping to reduce the overall costs of the project, which was a key factor in our decision to proceed with the works. Collaborating with Serconnect Ltd and Vattenfall IDNO has been invaluable in bringing this project to life, and we look forward to testing our solutions to help reduce the environmental impact of Ai and blockchain technology.”

Kevin Richardson, Commercial Director, Serconnect Ltd said:

“We are proud to be delivering the new grid connection for Manor House Farm, working alongside Sanctum-Energy and Vattenfall IDNO to support this important project in Huddersfield. This collaboration demonstrates the value of a well-structured adoption model, with the Asset Adoption Value from Vattenfall IDNO playing a crucial role in making the project financially viable. We look forward to building on this successful partnership and delivering many more connections that enable the transition to a cleaner energy future.”

Additional information

Sanctum Energy, the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractor, is adding another exciting new element to the project at Manor House Farm. They will be testing their cutting-edge Ai-driven optimization technology for renewable power and energy storage installations. This innovative platform uses Ai automation to improve the efficiency of electric vehicle (EV) fleets, solar panels, wind turbines, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). By combining real-time performance data with information on solar and wind power, their smart energy management system can predict and make real-time decisions to:

• Optimize the charging and discharging cycles for EVs and batteries.

• Make better use of renewable energy sources.

• Reduce reliance on the grid by balancing energy loads intelligently.

• Minimize energy waste with adaptive, self-learning algorithms.

• This new product, still in development, will help asset owners manage large-scale operations and maintenance more effectively.

• By using real-time site data along with historical data specific to the region, asset owners can make crucial decisions with greater confidence.

Serconnect will install a 500kVA Substation (including transformers, switchgear and metering), MPANs, HV and LV cabling for on-site capacity needs. The connection will have a total of 3 meters, with a registered import capacity of 138 kVA and export capacity of 393 kVA. With a plan to upgrade the site with an additional 200kW Ground Mount as part of a phase 2.

Serconnent Ltd will design and build the grid connection and, once the solar installation is developed and energized, Vattenfall IDNO will adopt the grid connection infrastructure and remain responsible for the operation and maintenance of the connection.