Ever wondered what it’s like to be at the helm of Britain‘s electricity system?

Now you can, as the Electricity System Operator (ESO) has launched the interactive online game, ‘Balancing the Grid.’

The game provides a sneak peek into the high-pressure world of the Electricity National Control Centre (ENCC), located in Wokingham.

Tasked with the real-time balancing act of the nation’s electricity system, the ENCC operates 24/7, 365 days a year.

With the ongoing shift towards cleaner and more diverse energy sources like wind and solar farms, the role of these experts has become increasingly complex.

Developed in consultation with ESO’s control room staff, the game lets players experience a control centre shift, guided by control room supervisor ‘Jo.’

Using the Unity platform, players must keep a vigilant eye on the system frequency dial, aiming to maintain it within the safe operational limits of 50Hz.

As the clock ticks down, players face challenges like peak demand hours, fluctuations in renewable generation and assets going offline for maintenance.

To keep the grid finely tuned, players make strategic interventions, such as activating nuclear assets or storing excess electricity in batteries.