Electricity industry understanding of space weather impact on the GB electricity system is based on the Royal Academy of Engineering 2013 report. However, the GB electricity system has changed significantly since 2013 with changes to the electricity network, the type and location of generation sources, the nature of electricity demand and the Client’s interconnection to Europe. The understanding of the potential impact of a severe space weather event has not kept up with these changes, which is impacting preparation, mitigation, and response planning for a future severe space weather event across the whole GB electricity sector. There is a need to therefore re-assess the impacts of a severe space weather event for the GB electricity system, taking into consideration system changes over the last decade as well as future developments.

This project led by Frazer-Nash Consultancy will deliver an informed up-to-date impact assessment of the potential impact of a reasonable worst-case scenario (RWCS) severe space weather event on the GB electricity system. It will assess potential mitigations that could be implemented, both pre-event and during an event, to inform contingency and response plans developed by electricity industry participants.