SSEN Transmission has opened an extension to its testing and training centre for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems in Cumbernauld, Scotland.
The facility will allow the energy industry to expand its collaboration capabilities in modelling and de-risking the use of HVDC converters, overhead lines, and cables within the electricity network in Great Britain.
Work undertaken at the National HVDC Centre will support delivery of National Grid ESO’s Pathway to 2030 publication, which confirms the need for more than £7bn of transmission investment in the north of Scotland.
It will also enable the progression of innovative Pathfinder projects through BEIS’ Offshore Transmission Network Review Early Opportunities workstream.
The first tranche of Pathfinder projects includes SSEN Transmission’s new HVDC Switching Station ‘Project Aquila’ – a landmark project at Peterhead which delivers the first demonstration of multi-vendor operation of a DC network outside of China.
SSEN Transmission managing director Rob McDonald (pictured, right) said: “The National HVDC Centre in Cumbernauld is playing a critical role in the UK’s transition to Net Zero, creating innovative and more efficient electricity networks of the future.
“As we connect the renewable energy needed to enable this transition at scale and pace, the requirement for HVDC technology will substantially increase to meet the UK Government’s 50GW offshore wind target by 2030 and support delivery of the British Energy Security Strategy.
“The centre is a vitally important enabler to allow us, and other Transmission Operators, to test and model the use of this innovative technology on the GB network.”
Using powerful computer simulators that model the electricity network in real time, and replica control systems from different HVDC suppliers, the facility allows electricity transmission owners and operators, suppliers, developers, and academic institutions from across the world to study the impact that complex HVDC Systems can have.
This can help to identify and mitigate any risks in a safe test environment before the technology goes live on the network.
To date, the centre has played a crucial role in the development of SSEN Transmission’s HVDC technology projects in the North of Scotland, such as the Caithness-Moray subsea transmission link, and the Shetland HVDC link which is currently in construction and will connect the Shetland Isles to the UK mainland electricity network for the first time.