Introduction: The research will inform and develop tools for the business to establish the benefits and risks, in quantitative terms, of adopting complex control methodologies (Wide area control, automation & protection) in place of traditional reinforcement techniques. The project will run as three concurrent work-streams (Ph.Ds):

Objectives:

The objectives for this project will run as three workstreams; a, b and c.

• Workstream a will identify strategies for using advanced control systems to improve system flexibility as alternatives to system reinforcement and constraints. The costs and benefits of each strategy will be determined.
• Workstream b will develop methods for understanding the impact on system resilience of the use of more complex control schemes, including higher levels of intertripping. The method will provide quantitative measures to allow relative comparisons of a range of network development options.
• Workstream c will provide information about current and developing demand management technologies. It will identify the extent to which they can be used to benefit system design and operation, and identify optimum levels.

Expected Benefits: The success criteria for this project include:

• Interim reports annual indicating project progress.

• Final PhD theses demonstrating key findings of the project.