SSEN Transmission secures funding to progress two innovation projects as part of Ofgem fund
SSEN Transmission, the electricity transmission network operator in the north of Scotland, has been awarded nearly £870k of funding and the green light to progress two projects to the next stage of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) programme.
The projects will explore innovative tools in the Alpha phase to monitor system strength and improve the industry’s understanding of static line ratings to unlock additional network capacity.
The SIF is an Ofgem programme managed in partnership with UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future. These projects are funded by network users and consumers under SIF.
SSEN Transmission’s projects – SYSMET and REVISE - have already completed the initial three-month Discovery phase to overcome the technical uncertainties of the project.
The awarded SIF funding will allow the projects to progress into the six-month Alpha phase to establish proof-of-concept through close collaboration with other networks and innovative project partners.
Alan Ritchie, Innovation Senior Manager at SSEN Transmission, said: “We’re delighted to receive funding from Ofgem through the SIF programme to help us deliver innovation projects that facilitate a safer, smarter, greener and faster energy transition. This funding will enable us to advance two collaborative innovation projects that will play a significant role in building our knowledge of our future network dynamics.”
Learn more about SSEN Transmission’s Alpha projects and SIF funding:
System Strength Measurement and Evaluation (SYSMET) - £478,612
The shift from fossil fuels to new sources of renewable power such as wind, solar, and battery storage presents challenges in ensuring network stability due to fluctuations in levels of generation. Traditionally, fault levels were an indicator of system strength for synchronous generators. However, there is growing evidence that they do not fully reflect the response of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs) to disturbances.
To secure a net-zero grid, network operators need to monitor system strength conditions to implement mitigation measures. SYSMET is bringing together leading experts to create a pathway for implementing innovative tools that provide a comprehensive insight into system strength. The project objective is to deliver online system strength monitoring tools to enable the detection and mitigation of weak system conditions susceptible to power system oscillations.
Project Partners: UK Power Networks, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), National Grid Electricity Transmission, SSE Renewables and Imperial College London.
Watch the project video here: https://youtu.be/Q-rbTlmP0TU
Revisiting and Evaluating Environmental Inputs on Line Ratings (REVISE) - £389,725
To ensure transmission networks are maximising their current infrastructure for the transition to net zero, the REVISE project assesses revisiting the calculation process for assigning overhead line static ratings. This process currently uses historical environmental data captured in the 1980s in one location in England at Leatherhead, therefore does not take into consideration any local/regional climate variations.
Improving the industry’s understanding of static line ratings, using up-to-date high-resolution weather data combined with the latest techniques for system modelling, will allow for improved targeted investment to ensure networks meet the demand for the connection of new renewables, securing a safer and greener future. Successfully solving this problem could unlock additional capacity in circuits without the need for any physical change or increase in operating temperature.
Project Partners: Met Office, University of Strathclyde, Energyline, National Grid Electricity Transmission and National Energy System Operator (NESO).
Watch the project video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4GzHXEl4kI
To learn more about SSEN Transmission’s Innovation initiatives visit their website.