The UK’s first ‘smart’ electricity substation has been installed in Kent, forming part of a plan to dynamically manage power flows and accommodate more renewable generation.
UK Power Networks’ Maidstone site is the first in a series of substations equipped with advanced communication and AI-driven technologies, enabling them to ‘talk’ to one another and redirect energy where it is needed most.
The substation installation is part of the Constellation project, which seeks to free up 1.4 GW of capacity – enough to power over 700,000 homes – and save consumers more than £750 million by 2050. According to UK Power Networks, this approach could also cut over 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. If the trial succeeds, strategically placed substations could potentially release up to 50% additional capacity when safe to do so.
Allington Energy from Waste, owned and operated by FCC Environment, is the first distributed generator to connect to the new system under the Constellation trial. A further five smart substations are planned for the South East of England, with UK Power Networks partnering with GE Vernova to deploy a PhasorController solution in each substation. By analysing power flows locally, these sites can reduce reliance on central communication, allowing for resilient operation even when connections are disrupted.
Luca Grella, Head of Innovation at UK Power Networks, commented, “This is a groundbreaking innovation for our network, and the first of a series of smart substations which could make a real difference for our customers and the environment.
“Enhancing the service provided to our energy-generating customers, and making our network more resilient in the process, will go a long way to preparing our network for a decarbonised future, and will allow more renewable energy resources to connect.”
Juergen Schaper, Operations Director (Energy Division) at FCC Environment, added, “As one of the UK’s leading waste and resource businesses, we focus our efforts on generating heat and power from waste that cannot be recycled. Supplying that power to an ever more resilient network via this new smart substation is a positive step forward as we too prepare to support the decarbonisation efforts of the UK.”
Ian Cameron, Head of Customer Services and Innovation at UK Power Networks, concluded, “We already have smart control rooms and grid edge devices like smart electric vehicle chargers. Having smart substations in the middle pulling it all together is a logical next step.”
The new digital substations will use machine learning models to process data from normal operating periods and then maintain safe power flows if connections to central systems are lost. By introducing these additional layers of intelligence and control, UK Power Networks says that it hopes to securely release more capacity and support the continued rise of renewable energy across the region.