Introduction: This project encompasses National Grid Electricity Transmission’s participation in selected Power Delivery projects from the EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) R&D Programme. Projects are selected to enable maximum beneficial project interaction and maximum leverage on funds. Additional technical collaborations and access to existing products are included as part of the agreed collaboration at no additional cost together with access to the Technology Innovation Program and participation in the Research Advisory Council.

Objectives: The project will consider the following areas:

• Greenhouse gas reductions options

• Inspection, assessment and management of overhead transmission lines

• Conductor and wire corrosion management

• Compression connector management

• Live working research for overhead lines

• Porcelain & glass insulator integrity assessment

• Transmission line design tools

• Lightning performance & grounding of transmission lines polymer and composite overhead transmission line components

• High temperature operation of overhead Lines

• Transformer end of life & condition assessment

• Transformer life extension

• Circuit breaker condition assessment and life extension

• Using relays for circuit breaker diagnostics

• Fault current management

• Protection and control

• Advanced conductors

• Assessment & evaluation of next generation HVDC Technologies

• Life extension and best practices guidelines for substation equipment

• Improving overall substation maintenance management

• SF6 environmental management and equipment performance

• Solid-state fault current limiter/circuit breaker development

• Management of substation ground

• Ground grid evaluation, maintenance refurbishment

• Energy storage (transmission)

• AC/DC line conversion

• Antenna arrays and wireless mesh sensors for partial discharge location

• ZedMeter instrument to measure the grounding impedance of transmission lines

• Technology and innovation programme including sustainability.