DC-RIDE will assess whether large transmission-connected data centres can meet emerging grid requirements for fault ride-through, voltage disturbances and fast active power recovery.
As hyperscale data centres grow, the project will improve understanding of how these loads respond to faults and voltage dips, and whether they can remain connected and recover in a controlled manner without adversely affecting system stability.
The project will provide evidence on data centre behaviour during disturbances, identify whether current requirements can be met and what technical measures may be needed, and assess options for supporting grid stability while maintaining operational resilience. It is expected to develop a reusable modelling framework for future studies and connection assessments, provide evidence to inform future Grid Code and connection agreement development, and a Data Centre Accelerator to support ongoing collaboration, testing and solution development across industry.
Benefits
1. What is the expected benefit delivered directly by this project?
1a. The DC-RIDE project aims to deliver significant operational improvements by moving from reactive policy-making to proactive, evidence-based system management. It addresses critical operability risks of FRT and oscillatory load profile from data centres, pin-points feasible solutions and provides a safe passage for the GB’s digital infrastructure targets.
By specifying requirements on both EMT and RMS data centre models, NESO could update modelling guidance notes and establish a definitive benchmark for industry submissions.
Ultimately, the DC-ride project aims to ensure that the integration of large-scale AI Growth Zone infrastructure could be safely facilitated from a transmission operability perspective.
1b. Who will benefit from this project and in what way?
NESO could benefit from this project from the development of practical options for incorporating recommended fault ride through envelopes, oscillation and ramp rate limits and model content in future Grid Code modifications and/or standard BCA clauses for large demand.
Data-centre developers and OMEs could benefit from this project as the modelling framework will enable the design of ‘Grid-Code-ready’ solutions.
1c. How confident are you this project will deliver this benefit? High
1d. Can this benefit be quantified?
Yes – Policy advisory benefit
Metric: Feasibility of the defined FRT envelopes, Oscillation and ramp rate limits that are agreeable with industry and could ensure system security and resilience.
Baseline: The technical requirement details have been consulted and agreed via industry engagement; targeting solutions that are available by 2030.
Expected Improvement: Clear map of industry capability considering different configurations or types of data centres. Identify hidden risks and remaining gaps, and potential improvements with timelines of delivery.
Yes – Model benefit
Metric: Model development on data centres
Baseline: The developed data centre models can be used for studies on configurable FRT curves and oscillation limit analysis; Necessary solutions are implemented to meet the minimum requirements agreed via NESO and industry engagement. The modelling framework can be reusable for further analysis.
Expected Improvement: Implement solutions that cannot only meet the minimum requirements but can extensively support grid stability, such as proportional load sharing during voltage dips, reactive injection and better oscillation damping.
Future / Full-Scale Benefit (if applicable - think beyond direct project outputs, e.g. operational rollout, industry adoption, policy influence, future cost reduction, resilience improvement)
Yes – Knowledge Benefit
Metric: Scale of future data-centre demand informed by project outputs.
Baseline: There is currently limited GB-specific evidence on fault ride-through and active power recovery performance for large data centres, despite approximately 140 transmission-connected data-centre projects representing at least 50GW of demand being identified in the queue to be connected. This figure does not capture all transmission-connected data-centre projects or those contracted but not yet connected at distribution level. Structured engagement with at least two stakeholders per focus area will be engaged to provide a viable scope, specifically 10 GB data centre developers and operators and at least 2 UPS and Battery OEMs. Stakeholder map will be agreed with NESO to ensure proper coverage of variety of technical configurations and projects.
Expected Improvement: DC-RIDE aims to deliver a GB-specific evidence base and reusable modelling framework to assess data-centre fault ride-through and active power recovery performance. The outputs will support the development of future Grid Code and BCA requirements for large-demand connections, reducing uncertainty for NESO, developers and OEMs and improving the consistency of future connection assessments and requirements. The project aims to provide evidence on how large data centres behave during faults and disturbances, supporting the development of requirements that help maintain system security and resilience as large-demand connections continue to increase.
2. What is the expected benefit if this idea is implemented at full scale?
2a. By developing a generic, reusable modelling framework, data-centre developers and OEMs will have greater confidence in the design of ‘Grid-Code-ready’ data centre solutions.
2b. Who will benefit from this project in the future and in what way?
By implementing this idea, data centre developers and OEMs will be able to confidently design data centre solutions that satisfy Grid Code requirements. Ultimately this will help improve the overall stability of the electrical network.
2c. What needs to happen for this future benefit to be realised?
For this benefit to be realised, the modelling framework would require rollout to data centre developers and OEMs.
2d. How confident are you this project will deliver this benefit? High
2e. Can this benefit be quantified?
Yes – Knowledge and System Security Benefit
Metric: Scale of future large-demand connections that could be supported by evidence-based Grid Code and connection requirements.
Baseline: There is currently limited GB-specific evidence on the fault ride-through and active power recovery capabilities of large data centres, creating uncertainty regarding their impact on system stability and security during network disturbances.
Expected Improvement: At full scale, the project's recommendations could inform future Grid Code requirements and connection standards for large-demand customers, helping to ensure that new data centres remain connected and recover in a controlled manner following faults and voltage disturbances. This would support system security and resilience as large-demand connections continue to grow. The significance of this benefit is demonstrated by the scale of interest in the sector, with approximately 140 transmission-connected data-centre projects representing at least 50GW of demand identified in the connections queue. As the project generates knowledge rather than deploying a physical solution, direct financial and system-security benefits cannot be robustly quantified at this stage.
