Sector: Energy
Lead Organisation: Jij Europe Limited
Project Partners: Orca Computing, NQCC
Observers: BP
This project demonstrated a potential pathway towards practical quantum advantage in the energy sector by applying a hybrid quantum–classical decomposition algorithm to the unit commitment problem—a core optimisation task for scheduling power generation at minimum cost. Motivated by the strategic need to reduce energy costs and maintain the UK’s competitiveness and attract investment, the project:
- integrated Jij’s quantum‑enhanced optimisation methods with ORCA Computing’s photonic quantum computing system.
- rigorously benchmarked performance against simulation baselines in line with national testbed efforts at the NQCC, and
- assessed the hardware and software requirements for scaling to industrially relevant problem sizes, with bp participating as industry observers.
This first‑of‑its‑kind integration between Jij software and ORCA’s system enabled progress toward cost‑efficient, next‑generation optimisation tools for complex power‑system planning.