National Grid seeks green alternatives to diesel backup

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National Grid is calling on industry to deliver low carbon alternatives to the diesel generators that provide essential backup power to electricity substations.

national grid
(Credit: Bethany Clarke/NGET)

The Call for Innovation (CFI) comes as National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) seeks to explore the integration of new third party assets into the grid, including low carbon backup power systems as well as combined standby and generation assets.

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Backup generators are used at over 250 NGET sites across England and Wales, the majority of which are diesel powered. Alongside batteries, these systems enable NGET to spring back into life following power outages, as well as providing backup power for core activities such as cooling fans, pumps, and lighting.

While these generators are rarely used – each has less than a one per cent chance of being called into action in any given year – they are carbon intensive, and NGET claims green alternatives could reduce that carbon footprint by up to 90 per cent.

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