National Grid releases Electricity 10 Year Statement

It has identified the following issues that need to be resolved:

• Increasing quantities of wind generation connected across the Scottish networks will double north-to-south transfer requirements from Scotland to England within 10 years.
  
  
• At times of low wind output, more network capacity could be needed to meet the south-to-north transfer requirements for demand in the north of England and Scotland. Large growth of around 5GW in low carbon generation and interconnectors in the north of England, combined with increased Scottish generation will increase export requirements into the English midlands.
  
  
• There will be growth of up to 10GW in generation in the next decade, from offshore wind on the east coast connecting to East Anglia. Transfer of electricity from East Anglia to the south of England will risk stressing this region of the network.
  
  
• New interconnections coming into the south east of England will potentially increase stress on the southern English network when these interconnectors export power out of Great Britain.

You can read the electricity Ten Year Statement here

Alongside this assessment, National Grid has issued some proposals, termed the ‘Network Development Roadmap’ for how it can improve its network planning tools for the remainder of the existing price control, (RIIO-T1), which runs until April 2021. The high-level goal is to identify whether long term transmission network needs can be met most efficiently through reinforcing the transmission network, or by using non-network solutions. It is proposing this will ‘drive greater consumer value and provide new opportunities for customers.’

National Grid is proposing to expand the Network Options Assessment to look out longer-term, using a whole system approach and considering network stability.

You can read this document here

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