Industrial Consumer-Led Flexibility
Workshop

The IDRIC Industrial Consumer‑Led Flexibility workshop, brought together industrial practitioners to examine how energy flexibility can be delivered in a future de‑fossilised energy system. The session formed part of the Consumer‑Led Flexibility work programme and aligned with Clean Power by 2030 objectives and research supported by EPSRC and DESNZ. Discussions focused on the practical technical and commercial considerations that shape industrial participation in flexibility markets.

A central theme was the shift created by moving away from fossil fuels. Fossil‑based systems have historically provided large‑scale, low‑cost and long‑duration storage, which supplied built‑in flexibility to the energy system. Electricity‑led systems do not yet offer equivalent storage characteristics at comparable price points or timescales. This creates new challenges for system balancing and highlights the growing role of industrial consumers as active contributors rather than passive users.

Participants emphasised that flexibility is becoming a designed and managed capability. It is not simply a commercial add‑on but an engineering and operational function that can be developed in a structured way. When supported by credible mechanisms and aligned with normal governance and investment processes, industry can deliver meaningful flexibility through engineered buffers (stocks and intermediary products), auxiliary systems and multi‑vector approaches.

The workshop also highlighted that many existing mechanisms do not fully reflect industrial realities. With clearer structures, better risk management and stronger alignment to technical and financial constraints, there is significant potential to expand industrial participation and unlock flexibility across major industrial clusters.

A detailed summary can be found below.