Technology Operations

Industry partners awarded £10m for ‘Black Start’ project

Black Start is the procedure used to restore power in the highly unlikely event of a total or partial shutdown of the National Electricity Transmission System. Traditionally, large power stations would have been used to restore the system. However, as the UK moves to cleaner, greener energy generation, the changes in generation mean that new options must be developed.

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Improving energy infrastructure resilience

Recent weather disasters serve as a stark reminder that natural hazards such as extreme wind, flooding and hail can cause a wave of damage and destruction to various types of infrastructure across the energy system. Therefore, it is important that stakeholders within the industry have a shared understanding of the risks and impacts associated with natural hazards to ensure people and infrastructure are protected.

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Independent panel set up to challenge networks business plans

The energy regulator sets price controls for the monopoly companies that operate Britain’s energy networks. The next set of price controls is expected to result in lower network costs for consumers while allowing the companies to respond to challenges including accommodating electric vehicles and other new technology.

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IEC 61850 and the revolution in substation communications

IEC 61850 and the revolution in substation communications

The days of substations filled with copper cable are coming to an end. Smart grids need smart communications, and peer-to-peer communication within and between substations is set to quickly become business as usual for UK power networks. Facilitating this transition is IEC 61850, a standard launched in 2004 and updated in 2011, which provides a new approach to automation and communication in substations.

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