The reliability of System Integrity Protection Schemes (SIPS) (called Operational Tripping Schemes (OTS) in National Grid) to manage circuit thermal and network stability issues, will become increasingly important, with the expansion and increased utilisation of the transmission network.

The reliability of System integrity Protection Schemes (SIPS) (called operational Tripping Schemes (OTS) in National Grid) to manage circuit thermal and network stability issues, will become increasingly important, with the expansion and increased utilisation of the transmission network.

Over the next 10 to 20 years, it is expected that the transmission system will grow and change significantly, as larger off shore renewable generation is connected, new and larger nuclear stations built to replace the existing fleet and many of the existing coal fired power stations close down. In addition, with more HVDC connections from off shore wind farms, connections to Europe and Scotland and with more use of dynamic reactive plant (such as series compensation), new system stability and circuit loading constraints could emerge. At the same time, significant substation and circuit asset renewal and upgrade programmes will take place which will require SIPS to be used more frequently used and the consequences of failure more significant.

Benefits

This work will be successful if we deliver a reliability assessment of existing SIPS in National Grid.