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National Grid Electricity Transmission Nationalgrid Annual Summary 2014/15 Network Innovation Allowance

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National Grid Electricity Transmission Nationalgrid Annual Summary 2014/15 Network Innovation Allowance National Grid Electricity Transmission nationalgrid Annual Summary 2014/15 Network Innovation Allowance Click here to enter Welcome 02 This is the second Annual Summary of National Grid Electricity Transmission’s Welcome(NGET) projects under the Network Innovation Allowance (NIA). 2014/15 has been a year of enhanced focus on innovation in Electricity Transmission, with a Strategy number of successful initiatives implemented into our ways of working. update We have further enhanced our innovation our organisational design review for capabilities and partnerships, delivering innovation. This will provide enhanced a balanced consumer-value focused clarity of responsibilities and accountabilities portfolio of projects through our Network for selecting, prioritising and delivering Innovation Allowance (NIA). We have also innovation projects and implementing Our portfolio of innovation projects been successful in securing funding for our successful outcomes into day-to-day covers the full spectrum of our strategic Smart Frequency Control (EFCC) Network business operations. A panel of Directors priorities, with work progressing on Innovation Competition (NIC) project. from all of National Grid’s UK RIIO-regulated opportunities reflecting long-term and Innovation can be summed up as the business has been established with short-term potential. To leverage the best act of matching what is needed with what accountability for our UK technology and value for GB consumers we have been is possible, to deliver a better outcome. innovation strategy. The energy systems in Great Britain (GB) proactively sharing the knowledge gained are undergoing fundamental changes. from our research and innovation activities This, coupled with the changing ways in with other network owners. This has been which consumers use energy, means that We have done some done through a knowledge sharing forum what is needed to maintain safe, reliable fantastic work in innovation for the Onshore and Offshore Transmission and affordable energy is rapidly evolving. this year which you can find Owners and System Operator, the At the same time, the pace of technology out more about in the rest of this Low Carbon Networks and Innovation development is moving the art of what is document. In further testament conference in October 2014 in Aberdeen, possible at unprecendented rates. to our achievements, it is and through regular direct contact between Reflecting these changes, in 2014/15 “pleasing to see a new conductor our engineers and partners in other we embarked on a review of our strategic technology, tested through networks. innovation priorities, focusing on the best a series of our projects, now being proposed as the opportunities for both the GB System most efficient solution for Operator (GBSO) and the England and Wales increasing capacity on part of Transmission Owner (TO) to find ever better the network in Scotland. ways to meet the needs of electricity users. John Pettigrew During the year, we also completed ” Executive Director, National Grid Innovation strategy 03 Our innovation Strategy strategy update key areas Safety Reliability Environment We continue to invest in the Much of the GB transmission network Our portfolio includes a number development of new products, we benefit from today was built in of projects aimed at minimising 7 processes and techniques to the 1950s and 1960s. Although many the environmental impact of our Our RIIO innovation strategy identified seven key strategy areas protect our staff, contractors and components were originally designed assets and operations as well as for our innovation activities for the the general public. Of particular to last 40 to 50 years, our research facilitating the connection of low first years of the RIIO T1 period. note has been the continued into the causes of failure and ways carbon sources of electricity. We Our NIA projects and supporting development and successful to prevent it continues to enable us have been continuing to research activities have continued to advance testing of ground breaking non- to improve the assessment of the and assess ways in which we can state-of-the-art technology and best conductive safety screening true remaining operational life of key make the most of the valuable practice across all of these themes. suitable for use in our high voltage equipment such as transformers and resources embedded in our substations. This research will protection systems. It also means assets by exploring efficient ways help mitigate the impact of risk we can develop ways to extend the to re-use or refurbish equipment, management hazard zones on operational life of many network and where this is not possible system operability and increase components without comprising the or cost effective, to recover access for maintenance. high levels of reliability of the system. materials for recycling. Innovation strategy 04 Our innovation strategy continued Commercials The nature of Great Britain’s electricity demand has been Strategy evolving rapidly and there are a update number of ways in which it could be actively managed to reduce the cost of maintaining security of supply. We have continued to progress a number of projects aimed at making sure demand- Connections side services are technically and commercially viable, through Timely and affordable system System Operation better understanding and access is a priority for our As the GBSO we continue to modelling of future demand and generation and demand customers. advance innovation to facilitate reliable means of control and New generation connections are smarter system operation, communication. increasingly dominated by non enabling the efficient and synchronous generation, such as coordinated operation of the wind and solar, and are increasingly electricity network. Balancing connected to the distribution the supply and demand for networks. This requires a different Strategic electricity on a second by approach to managing the electricity Our strategic research ensures we second basis efficiently, and system as a whole, so we are are collaborating with a diverse range maintaining the stability of the working closely with the distribution of institutions including universities, system, is becoming ever more network operators to understand other utilities and industry groups complex with around 8GW of better and find affordable solutions to investigate next generation solar generation across the to maintain voltage and frequency technologies in long-term research. country. Many of our research stability on the network. This will We continue to enhance our network projects are directed at make sure our networks are capable modelling and supply and demand enhancing the sophistication of connecting the volumes of capabilities, investigate how best to of our forecasting models renewable generation the market is use the emerging technologies such and exploring novel ways to driving and can operate in harmony as energy storage and support the respond ever more rapidly to with active distribution networks. £ development of new materials. disturbances to the network. Innovation strategy 05 2014/15 NIA Strategy portfolio overview update The evolving nature of the GB energy sector led us to embark on a review of our strategic innovation priorities in 2014/15, and look at the landscape we Aspects of the operate in as an electricity transmission business. Transmission Network National Grid is in a unique position in having ● how they align with nine challenge-and both the England and Wales Transmission value-driven themes that illustrate the System Operation Substations Owner (TO) and the GB System Operator strategic priorities of NGET. High Voltage Direct (GBSO) business areas. We focused our Overhead lines Current (HVDC) review on the best opportunities for both the Many of our innovation projects touch on TO and GBSO to find ever better ways to more than one aspect of the transmission Underground cables Safety, Health, Environment meet the needs of electricity users and deliver system and more than one of the and Security (SHES) value to our consumers and stakeholders. value themes: we have grouped our projects according to their predominant 4% Other 3% We maintain a balanced portfolio of innovation characteristic. activities by looking at our projects in a We invested £10m in progressing 110 number of ways. In the coming pages we NIA projects in 2014/15. The diversity provide an overview of our 2014/15 activities of assets and activities at the heart of 6% showing: National Grid’s Electricity Transmission ● which aspects of the Transmission Network operations is reflected in the nature of the or System Operator challenges our projects subjects addressed by our portfolio. Our 32% predominantly relate to; innovation approach allows us to explore a ● a qualitative assessment of the Technology broad range of areas, all of which have the 23% Readiness Level (TRL), which gives an potential to introduce either lower-cost or indication of relative maturity of the technology lower-risk solutions, and often both. or solution being investigated; and 10% 22% For more information about our projects visit the Energy Networks Association Smarter Networks Portal Innovation strategy 2014/15 NIA portfolio TRL explained 06 For the purposes overview continued of the NIA, the TRL Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a scale from 1-9 which provides an indication of how close levels are defined as: a technology or new operational practice is to becoming technically and commercially
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