Novel tech used by TSO to unlock 1.5GW of grid capacity for renewables

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The technology is being installed at three substations in the north of England, freeing up 1.5GW. Image: National Grid

Novel technology is to be deployed by National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) in a bid to open up around 1.5GW of capacity for renewables.

NGET, the transmission operator in England and Wales, is claiming a world first for its large scale use of power flow control technology developed by US-based energy technology company Smart Wires.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

NGET said the technology was of particular importance in the UK due to the increase in renewable generation in the country, which can result in power flows change and circuits becoming unequally loaded, with some reaching maximum capacity while others are below their limits.

However, the SmartValve technology instantly routes power through the circuits which have available capacity, maximising the use of the existing network. It is hoped that by installing this technology at three substations – freeing up around 500MW of capacity at each – that greater volumes of renewable power can be efficiently transferred to customers, helping to support the UK’s goal of net zero by 2050.

While 500MW is to be freed up at each substation, National Grid is planning to extend the capability at two of these sites in the autumn, meaning an additional 500MW could be freed.

David Wright, chief engineer for National Grid, said: “I’m proud to see NGET leading the way and pioneering transformational and innovative engineering to achieve wide-scale decarbonisation and overcome bottlenecks that are preventing maximum use of our networks.”

Indeed, UK is not the only country to be faced with the issue of access to the grid and grid capacity, with panellists at a Danish workshop as part of the Solar Finance & Investment Europe conference held by PV Tech publisher Solar Media in February hearing that attempts to build up the country’s grid could create a “bottleneck” for more renewables projects coming online.

During this talk Jens Peter Zink, executive VP at European Energy, said that providing “more flexible access to the grid” could alleviate some of the issues surrounding grid connections, but that building out grid capabilities will be a “big hurdle” for solar developers in many countries.

1 July 2025
London, UK
UK Solar Summit 2025 will look at the role solar currently plays in the energy mix, how this will change over the coming years and how this aligns with net-zero and other government targets. We will break down all these challenges and help build up solutions through discursive panels, motivational keynotes and case studies, with newly added interactive sessions to get you moving and meeting your peers, making the connections you need to boost your business.

Read Next

November 7, 2024
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has said that a delay in new renewable energy and energy storage capacity coming online on the National Electricity Market (NEM) in 2023-24 means the grid will reach 6.4GW at full capacity next year.
October 31, 2024
UK-based research group Cornwall Insight has projected that Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) will add 150GW of solar PV, wind and energy storage capacity by 2043.
October 21, 2024
The investments will protect the grid from the increasing threat of extreme weather and expand grid capacity as demand grows, the DOE said.
Premium
October 8, 2024
Grid reform expert Tyler Norris talks to PV Tech about whether the rest of the US can follow ERCOT’s example in the quest to ease bottlenecks.
Premium
October 7, 2024
Solar, storage and other renewables projects are facing unprecedented interconnection queues in some parts of the US. Jonathan Touriño Jacobo reports on the struggle solar and storage developers are facing in getting projects off the ground and the efforts underway to ease the problem.
October 7, 2024
The new projects will support new capacity in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico as well as Maine.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 19, 2024
Philadelphia, USA
Solar Media Events
November 20, 2024
Zhuhai, China
Solar Media Events
November 21, 2024
London, UK
Solar Media Events
November 26, 2024
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
November 26, 2024
Warsaw, Poland