With growing demands for power, renewable generation and secure, flexible systems, Birmingham’s experts will join a five-year partnership connecting them with National Grid engineers and project teams.
They will bring their expertise in electrical power systems, HVDC, FACTS, artificial intelligence and digital energy to the National Grid Electricity Transmission’s RIIO-T3 Innovation Academic Framework.
Birmingham is one of ten UK academic institutions participating in the framework, which will connect university researchers directly with National Grid innovation engineers and project teams between 2026 and 2031.
The partnership forms part of National Grid’s wider RIIO-T3 programme, under which up to £31 billion is expected to be invested in the electricity transmission network. The programme is intended to enable the connection of 35GW of new electricity generation and storage and 19GVA of new demand while maintaining network security, affordability and resilience.
The University’s contribution will draw on expertise across the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, led through the School of Engineering and Birmingham Energy Institute.
Researchers will contribute capabilities in power-system modelling and control, high-voltage direct current transmission, Flexible AC Transmission Systems, power electronics, digital energy technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, asset management, network resilience and whole-energy-system decarbonisation.
The University’s partnership will be led by Professor Xiao-Ping Zhang, Professor of Electrical Power Systems in the School of Engineering and Co-Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute.
Professor Zhang is internationally recognised for his research in HVDC, FACTS, smart grids and renewable-energy integration. In 2025, he received the IEEE Power & Energy Society Nari Hingorani FACTS Award for his contributions to the modelling and design of FACTS controllers in alternating- and direct-current transmission systems.
Professor Xiao-Ping Zhang said, “Britain’s electricity system must expand at unprecedented speed without compromising stability, resilience or affordability. This partnership gives us a long-term route to work directly with National Grid engineers, address operationally important challenges and translate research into solutions that can ultimately be deployed on the network.
“Advances in HVDC, FACTS, artificial intelligence, digital modelling and system control will be essential if we are to connect much greater volumes of renewable generation, storage and new electricity demand while maintaining a secure and flexible power system.”
The framework will also provide a platform for connecting major industrial challenges with doctoral research, student projects, early-career researcher development and professional education, helping to build the highly skilled workforce required by the rapidly changing electricity sector.
Professor Sara Walker, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute, said, “Transforming the electricity transmission network is not a standalone engineering challenge. It connects electricity generation and storage with transport, heat, industry, markets, regulation and public policy.
“The Birmingham Energy Institute brings these disciplines together so that new technologies are not only technically effective, but also economically credible, environmentally sustainable and responsive to the needs of society. Long-term collaboration with National Grid will help us move more rapidly from research evidence to practical implementation.”
