This project aims to provide a means (tool structure) to forecast the impact of temperature events on asset behaviour and the implications for overall network performance, risk and resilience. Currently, the absolute strain that extreme heat or rapid temperature changes poses on critical infrastructure is not entirely known. Yet, we expect more multi-faced weather events such as severe heat and cold waves with undulating characteristics which pose a threat to normal operation of electrical components especially within aged equipment.​ Currently, no method exists to explicitly outline how service delivery is affected, neither is there any matrix to fully assemble resilience against multi-hazards weather extremes. This project will inform NGET’s and SSEN-T’s related RIIO investment planning, in-year planning and improve real time network decision making.   

Benefits

This project will inform NGET’s and SSEN-T’s related RIIO investment planning, in-year planning and improve real time network decision making.   

The project output will address challenges in three key areas;   

• Tactical / Event Response – where real time forecasts of anticipated extreme events e.g., heat waves can be used to understand the live impacts on the grid, informing decisions or interventions that can be taken to maintain safe operation.  
• Asset health forecasting / monitoring – where the long-term effects of multi-hazard weather events such as extreme temperature cycles, and related impact on asset aging, can be understood allowing operational decisions to be taken on outage planning, maintenance, and rating reviews.  
• Long term investment planning – involving identification of future network constraints under extreme conditions supported by evidence to substantiate future investment and network reinforcement.