New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Power to the people – the UK’s evolving electricity transmission system
6/4/2022
6 min read
Feature
As the way in which we generate and consume energy changes, the demands on our existing transmission system are changing. Here, Ed Walker MEI, Principal Environmental Consultant, Xodus, considers how the UK network is evolving to meet these demands, and what the transmission network of the future may look like.
Reflected by the UK government’s 10 Point Plan, decarbonisation of our energy system is a cornerstone of the ‘green revolution’, including through the advancement of low carbon technologies for the generation of electricity. And, while generation frequently takes centre-stage, the transmission network forms an equally critical part of our national energy infrastructure.
As older power stations around the UK close and new sources of energy come online, the transmission system requires extensive development to ensure efficiency in connection and delivery of low carbon energy.
By way of illustration, National Grid is continually connecting various energy sources around the UK. One such source is the Nemo Link, a 1 GW interconnector allowing bidirectional transfer of electricity between Belgium and the UK. The high voltage (HV) subsea cables come ashore at Richborough, Kent. However, until recently, the area was lacking the HV transmission network necessary to connect this green energy into the grid.