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gb_spen_heatmap_spm

SP Energy Networks Capacity Heatmap — SPM

Published by SP Energy Networks · GB · Twice a year

Grantedcommercial_use_with_attributionHealthy

Demand, generation and reverse-power-flow headroom (MVA) at SP Manweb's 378 BSP and primary substation groups in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales, with firm capacity, RAG status, limiting factor and LTDS Table 6 connection activity.

What is withheld, and why

Nothing is withheld. Values are served with the attribution the licence asks for: SP Energy Networks, Capacity Heatmaps Information Model SPM, https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/distribution-capacity-heatmaps-spm/, SP Energy Networks Open Data Licence (based on CC BY 4.0). Keep it with any figure you show.

The dataset metadata says CC BY 4.0; the portal licence it points to is SPEN's own, based on CC BY 4.0, with no non-commercial restriction. SPEN prescribes no attribution wording (§5.1: creator, a licence notice, a link). "SPEN may at any time revise this Licence without notice": the licence page should be re-read on review.

Licence and rights evidence

Attribution
SP Energy Networks, Capacity Heatmaps Information Model SPM, https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/distribution-capacity-heatmaps-spm/, SP Energy Networks Open Data Licence (based on CC BY 4.0)required
Technical access
Yes
Commercial use
Yes
May be cached
Yes
May be redistributed
Yes
Derived data allowed
Yes

Evidence

Methodology

2 version(s)

SPEN Capacity Heatmaps Information Model

gb_spen_heatmap_spm_2026 · v2026-06 (LTDS November 2025, Load Index 2025, LTDS Table 6 May 2026)

Headroom per substation group "based on the current connected position at SPEN substations and including LTDS connection activity", from the November 2025 LTDS, the 2025 Load Index tables and LTDS Table 6 (May 2026). Not a forecast: SPEN points to its NSHR for future headroom. Firmness of the headroom is not stated. One value per group of transformers, repeated by SPEN on every member site.

Capacity basis
operator calculated
Network state
unknown
Binding
No
Additive across assets
No — do not sum these figures
The method accounts for
reserved: not stated · allocated: not stated · pre-reserved: not stated · pending requests: not stated
Comparability class
gb_spen_heatmap

The operator’s own caveats

  • "The data are indicative only; hence must not be used for safety-critical purposes and cannot be used for accurate connection assessments." (SPEN)
  • "Demand headroom is also dependent on upstream network capacity, and generation headroom is influenced by voltage‑control constraints on export" (SPEN)

SPEN connection activity (LTDS Table 6), SPM

gb_spen_heatmap_spm_activity_2026 · v2026-06 (LTDS Table 6, May 2026)

Number and MVA of budget estimates provided, connection offers made and connection offers accepted per substation group and connection voltage, from LTDS Table 6 (May 2026), plus SPEN's own "Past Connection Activity Total" columns. A flow over a past period, not capacity available now. SPEN does not state the period.

Capacity basis
operator published
Network state
unknown
Binding
No
Additive across assets
No — do not sum these figures
The method accounts for
reserved: not stated · allocated: not stated · pre-reserved: not stated · pending requests: not stated
Comparability class
gb_spen_connection_activity

How the publication maps to the model

availability types
["available","total","requested","contracted","unknown"]
binding
false
directions
["offtake","injection"]
firmness
["firm","unknown"]
geometry precision
exact
includes reserved projects
null
non additive
true
notes
["SPM publishes capacity per substation group, not per site: 871 rows are 378 groups (40 BSP, 338 primary) repeated for each of their member sites. Every capacity value is identical on every row of a group. The asset is the group (keyed SPM/<group name>, the only unique key: mGRID repeats MACHYNLLETH for two groups); its member sites are listed in the asset's attributes (`member_sites`) and are the points of its MultiPoint geometry. Each value is taken once per group, so nothing can be added up across sites.","Two groups (BRD T1, ROYAL INSURANCE (NEW QUAY)) leave the per-site columns empty; they are located from the combined `latitude,longitude` column instead.","Each primary group is linked to the BSP group it names (parent_source_asset_id). The hierarchy shares upstream capacity: never add values across levels.","Bare NaN tokens (7,318 on 2026-09-25) mark what the merge left empty and are read as not published. Generation firm, available and reverse-power-flow capacities are strings: numeric, or \"unknown\" at 60 groups, served as an explicit unknown (value null, source_value \"unknown\"), never zero.","The dataset schema's labels for demandAvailableCapacity and demandMinimum are swapped (\"The minimum demand …\" / \"The available demand capacity …\"). The data are not: demandAvailableCapacity equals firm capacity minus maximum demand at 252 of 378 groups, and is read as available capacity.","Negative available capacity is published at 22 groups for generation and 8 for demand (deficits, flagged in details).","SPEN's reverse-power-flow figures equal its generation figures on every group (total = generation firm, available = generation available): they are published, and served, as SPEN's own reverse-power-flow series, but they carry no information of their own.","Connection activity (LTDS Table 6, 11 kV) is merged onto the member-site rows of 216 groups. One group (CHESTER MAIN GT4 / CRANE BANK GT1 / GUILDEN SUTTON GT1 / SALTNEY G2A) carries two different sets of 11 kV figures with nothing to tell them apart: its activity is rejected, its capacities are served.","RAG (`Green|Amber|Red|unknown`) and limiting factor (`thermal`, `fault level`, lower case) are verbatim in details and attributes. OtherConstraints is one text for every group: demand also depends on upstream capacity, generation on voltage control and fault-level contribution.","\"Past Connection Activity Total …\" columns are SPEN's own summary outside the standard, described only as \"connection activity\"; served with availability `unknown`."]
spatial scope
substation
technologies
["generic_load","generic_generation"]
units
["MVA","count"]

Query this source

curl "https://api.gridcapacityapi.com/v1/capacity/search?source=gb_spen_heatmap_spm&limit=20" \  -H "Authorization: Bearer gc_live_..."