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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA2_NGET0031
Title	Understanding the Whole System Impacts of Nuclear Co-Generation on Electricity Transmission Infrastructure
Status	Started
Energy Categories	Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis) 30%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 50%; Nuclear Fission and Fusion(Nuclear Fission) 20%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 80%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given National Grid Electricity Transmission
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 August 2023
End Date	31 October 2024
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£599,213
Industrial Sectors	Power
Region	London
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , National Grid Electricity Transmission (100.000%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , National Grid Electricity Transmission (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA2_NGET0031
Objectives	ESME (Energy System Modelling Environment) will be used to model Net Zero pathways to evaluate the role of nuclear cogeneration in a limited number of scenarios and uncertainty analysis. These will feed into ESME | Networks, a whole energy system model used to interpret ESME pathways to understand strategic network infrastructure requirements in more detail and at higher spatial granularity. Third party expertise will be brought into the project, in collaboration with NGET, to deliver suitable analysis that explores the operational implications on the electricity transmission network, as a result of co-generation plant. This project will also draw on recent analysis of nuclear co-generation plant to represent SMRs capable of feeding into heat networks and AMRs capable of cogenerating hydrogen or heat for industry. The project will also include suitable nuclear industry stakeholders to define the characteristics of advanced nuclear technologies for representation in the whole energy systems modelling. The project will provide an evidence base to NGET for identifying long term risks and opportunities that advanced nuclear technologies provide. "The detailed scope of the work is outlined below. Task 1: Data and model development Develop key datasets for use in the ESME suite of whole energy systems modelsDevelop model to incorporate nuclear cogeneration technologies, direct heat from nuclear plant in industry and sites for different nuclear cogeneration plantTask 2: Stakeholder engagement Engage stakeholders to understand the technical, economic, regulatory, market and policy-based barriers to deployment and uncertainties that could influence the near-term deployment of nuclear technologies in the UK.Identify a set of input assumptions captured in spreadsheet form and key stakeholder insights to inform scenario developments. Task 3: Model net zero energy system scenarios Explore the role and system-wide impacts of nuclear cogeneration in the net zero transition under a range of condition by modelling a combination of scenarios and uncertainty analysis.Investigate implications of nuclear cogeneration on the electricity and gas/hydrogen transmission network in GB and key impacts of nuclear cogeneration on whole energy system design. Task 4a: Analysis impacts on network infrastructure Analyse impacts of nuclear cogeneration on the electricity transmission network infrastructure for a shortlisted range of scenarios. Deliver insight into where nuclear plants can be sited, what the characteristics of those plants/sites will be and what the impact on the network will be. Task 4b: Analysis of impacts on operation of networks Perform further power flow analysis which will consider operational impacts of cogeneration including thermal loading, voltage and stability. Identify implications of nuclear cogeneration on the electricity transmission network in GB, including peak snapshot conditions, network requirements for 2050 with nuclear co-generation, operational impacts of peak snapshot conditions and impacts on NGET infrastructure. Task 5: Identification of opportunities and risks Identify opportunities, risks and risk mitigation methods for National Grid Electricity Transmission. Identify opportunities where nuclear co-generation can provide flexibility and support the grid. " The key objectives for this project are to assess the implications of nuclear cogeneration on energy system designs including the whole system value of nuclear cogeneration for heat and hydrogen; and evaluate the operational impacts of nuclear cogeneration on NGETs transmission assets, including the impact of increasing levels of synchronous generation on operability parameters, such as voltage, fault level and inertia.
Abstract	This project aims to assess the impacts of nuclear cogeneration on transmission network. ESME (Energy System Modelling Environment) will be used to model Net Zero pathways to evaluate the role of nuclear cogeneration in different scenarios. By using a whole energy system model to interpret ESME pathways, the project will evaluate the operational impact of nuclear cogeneration on NGETs transmission assets, including the operability parameters and the electricity transmission infrastructure requirements. The characteristics of advanced nuclear technology will be defined for representation in the whole energy systems modelling. This project will also identify the risks and opportunities emerging through whole systems modelling and operational analysis of systems with varying degrees of nuclear cogeneration.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	18/10/23