Conventional 400kV air insulated substations (AIS) require a significant footprint to accommodate the double busbar arrangement with its associated main and reserve busbars, disconnectors, circuit breakers and metering apparatus. This project will explore compact substation designs by introducing surge arrester overvoltage protection to reduce the surge magnitudes and adoption of the innovative transformers with embedded close overvoltage protection, disconnector circuit breakers and optical voltage and current measurements. Moreover, Delta and Vertical busbar configurations (DBC and VBC) will also be explored to reduce the footprint width of the busbars. Project will result in taking this work to the next TRL stage, design and prepare a plan for a full demonstrator compact substation bay, including geometry and new equipment selection. 

Benefits

The project facilitates energy system transition by helping NGET to understand and reduce the environmental impact, in terms of CO2e emissions, associated with a typical 400kV air insulated substation (AIS). Project will seek out carbon hotspots like controlling the size and separation of high voltage components and identify several clear opportunities for future focus to assist in commitments to reduce scope 3 emissions.  This project will minimise electricity transmission substations lifecycle carbon emissions and improve methodologies for substation design.