Project Aims and Objectives
This piece of work aims to provide an overarching insight into the Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) challenges for technologies related to electricity infrastructure. It identifies the innovation challenges that face a range of power infrastructure related technologies, sets out the state-of-the-art in addressing these challenges and the organisational landscape (both funding and RD&D) active in the area. The work then identifies critical gaps in innovation activities and makes recommendations for investors and Government to address these gaps.
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Technology context: Electricity Infrastructure
The renewable (and low-carbon) technology deployment and changes in patterns of demand side activity required to reach the 80% reductions in CO2 by 2050 will precipitate an equivalent change in the electricity infrastructure to support this emerging system. The UK power infrastructure (both transmission and distribution) needs to be fit for purpose and ready to meet the needs of a dramatically different power landscape. This report provides an appraisal of the technical issues facing the evolving network to meet the overarching challenges of maintaining system security and reliability in a low carbon environment.
Project overview
- Overview of technical challenges and the organisational landscape
- Identification of key RD&D activities in the UK and Europe:
- RD&D Gap analysis to highlight 4 areas where further attention may be required:
- Energy Storage
- High Voltage DC Networks
- Smart grids, scope and integration
- Whole system evaluation
- ERP recommendations and priorities for action
Project Working Group Members
National Grid, E.ON, Technology Strategy Board, Energy Technologies Institute, Carbon Trust, Royal Academy of Engineering, ERP Analysis Team
Project Outputs and Final Report
The report was publiched in November 2009:
Final report can be found here
Link to minutes of June 2009 plenary discussion on draft final report
