Blog Nouryon & Energy Pool: 10 Years of Innovation Supporting Grid
On its Ambès site, Nouryon — a global chemical-industry player — and Energy Pool — an expert in energy flexibility — launched a bold collaboration ten years ago: to show that industry can become a key player in the energy transition. Over the years, this partnership strengthened: evolving from occasional load-shedding events to active participation in the balancing services of the French power grid. Today, Nouryon and Energy Pool demonstrate how innovation, data and industrial expertise can turn energy flexibility into a real lever for competitiveness and sustainability.
From capacity to responsiveness: a path in four key steps
2014 – Start of the partnership: first load-shedding eventsThe journey began with participation in the Capacity Mechanism. The Nouryon plant demonstrated its ability to reduce its consumption by up to 25 MW for two hours, at the request of the grid operator RTE. A concrete first step to secure the electrical system while monetizing the site’s flexibility.
2017–2018 – Toward real-time flexibility
With integration into system services (R1), the plant now contributes to maintaining the 50 Hz frequency. Thanks to dynamic modulation of its consumption, controlled in real time by Energy Pool, the site becomes a full-fledged actor in grid stability. The following year, Nouryon took part in the first “Effacement” (load-shedding) call for tenders (AOE), confirming its pioneer-status among flexible industries.
2023 – A new milestone: the Secondary Reserve (R2)
The latest major advance: the joint Nouryon–Energy Pool certification for the Secondary Reserve. With 4 MW of symmetric certified capacity, the site now contributes to frequency-regulation services — a role historically reserved for electricity producers. A strong demonstration of the maturity reached by French industrial flexibility.
2025 – Modulating consumption: toward optimized flexibility
The site is exploring new strategies to arbitrage consumption in response to SPOT market signals and the secondary reserve (aFRR). This initiative allows not only to modulate consumption, but also to monetize existing flexibility and actively contribute to grid balancing — in line with current energy-market mechanisms.
A shared value: performance, sustainability and innovation
For Nouryon, this partnership is far more than an energy project: it is a strategic opportunity to optimize consumption, reduce costs and take an active part in the decarbonization of the electrical system.For Energy Pool, it is the perfect illustration of its mission:
“Supporting industrial clients in an increasingly fine-tuned and innovative monetization of their energy flexibility.”
This success rests on bespoke support, adapted to the operational constraints of the site, and on a unique technological expertise combining data intelligence, automation and real-time control.