NGET Call For Innovation - Innovative Substation Auxiliary Load Solutions

To tackle climate change by reducing emissions and enhance the reliability and resilience of backup power systems, NGET, is seeking to establish a new commercial approach with a 3rd party supplier, to trial new backup power systems or combined standby and generation assets that are low carbon alternatives to the traditional battery and diesel assets that are used across its substations.

NGET's substations need both AC and DC power for the safe reliable operation of the network including protection, control, critical plant and equipment such as transformers, reactors, and switchgear. Traditionally, incoming AC supplies are derived from a DNO (via distribution transformers) and DC power from substation batteries (VRLA, Planté and some Ni-Cad). In addition, backup diesel generators (gensets) provide standby AC power in in the event of a loss of supply event.

The purpose of this CFI is to help National Grid identify:

1. Products

a. New technologies capable of providing in the region of 300 - 500kVA low emission backup power to a substation for a minimum of 72 hours with no external supply; and/or,

b. Novel technology capable of delivering energy solutions that can meet all or part of the substation load demand (AC/DC) during normal and standby operations (as a priority) combined with commercial generation (MW) that can synchronise to the GB electricity network*.

2. Services

a. Service offerings related to the provision of power during a loss of supply event.

This CFI will inform NGET's approach to obtaining the required resource / improve NGET's knowledge of the backup power and generation market.