Power plant products |
Operating the largest DLR network in the UK
Dynamic line rating (DLR) is said to be ideal for increasing wind power transmission capacity and has the potential to make the GB electricity grid more efficient. SSEN Transmission is implementing what it says is cutting-edge, infrastructure-monitoring technology, and is now operating the biggest DLR network in the UK.
In recent months, the company has installed the technology across over 300 km of overhead transmission lines as part of its North of Beauly DLR project, with full operation expected by the end of 2025. DLR uses real-time environmental data, including temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, and cloud cover to calculate the true, live capacity of overhead lines. This differs from static line ratings, which are fixed conservative ratings that often leave capacity unused. With DLR, high winds cool lines, enabling greater levels of power to be carried safely. The sensors transmit live conductor temperatures to cloud-based algorithms. The algorithms then calculate real-time and forecast ratings, which are communicated to the National Energy System Operator, which uses the data to make decisions on how to balance generation and manage potential constraint on the network. And while network reinforcement ultimately has a greater impact on increasing capacity, DLR provides a boost to the grid that, working alongside reinforcement, can help to maximise efficiency across the network and can ultimately save energy consumers money, by alleviating constraints. Brant Wilson, SSEN Transmission’s Innovation Portfolio manager, said: “Operating the UK’s largest dynamic line rating network is a major milestone … it demonstrates our commitment to … unlocking every ounce of capacity from the existing network to accelerate the transition to net zero.
“By making smarter use of the grid, we’re enabling more renewable electricity to flow from where it is generated to where it will be used – and alleviating constraint on the network at the same time too.
“With all sensors now installed, a rigorous period of calibration and monitoring will take place over the coming months. After that, SSEN Transmission and NESO will work together to perform communication testing, aiming to roll out the system for full operation by the end of the year. At the same time, we’re looking at options for installing more DLR technology across our region.”
48 | September 2025|
www.modernpowersystems.com
‘New standard’ for wind resource assessment
Vaisala, a prominent player in measurement technology, has launched its model WindCube 2.1 XP, an evolution of its vertical profiler wind lidar. Claimed to feature enhanced accuracy, increased data availability, and robust performance in clean air and complex terrain, it is believed to set a new standard for wind measurement, particularly at the rotor sweep heights critical for modern utility-scale wind turbines.
The performance of the new product reflects “years of customer feedback, rigorous testing, and continuous innovation,” said Romain Guillaume, senior product manager at Vaisala. “Fine-tuning the detector’s sensitivity, reducing power consumption, and refining measurement stability across environmental conditions helped us engineer [this product] to deliver the performance developers need.”
While WindCube 2.1 XP retains the familiar form factor and reliability it introduces advancements that are expected to translate into tangible value for wind developers, operators, and investors, namely:
improved accuracy through the measurement range of up to 400m, covering the full rotor- sweep area for all utility-scale turbines; 69% average improvement in data availability at 200m in clean air conditions across multiple test locations;
20% lower power consumption, reducing logistical complexity for remote deployments, and reducing carbon footprint. Further, it is the only International
R-R emergency power for offshore UK wind platforms
Rolls-Royce has received a second order from Eureka Pumps AS to supply mtu Series 4000 engines to power emergency generators for the 4.2 GW Norfolk Offshore Wind Farm on the east coast of the UK. Rolls-Royce will ultimately be suppling a total of four mtu engines for the first and second phases of the wind farm, which is located 50 to 80 km from the coast and
is operated by RWE. They will be installed on two converter platforms at sea and onshore: their function is to ensure that the electricity generated at sea can be fed into the power grid. The generators are based on 20-cylinder mtu Series 4000 P63 engines, each with an output capacity of 2.6 MWe, to ensure that the power supply on the converter platforms remains stable even if the main power supply fails. They also ensure that control and monitoring systems continue to operate, that the infrastructure of the service crew quarters is maintained, and that lighting and other safety-critical systems do not fail. They supply power for the cooling and ventilation of major system components to prevent damage from overheating. In extreme cases, the emergency power generators enable the systems to be shut down and restarted in a controlled manner.
Electrotechnical Commission classified wind lidar with an extended measurement range of up to 200m.
These enhancements, together with the cloud-based platform Vaisala Compass launched in 2024, are expected to help derisk wind energy investments, improve site planning and project financing, and reduce operational uncertainty, the more so as rotor diameters and hub heights continue to grow. The system is backed by an expanded five-year warranty, and is ready for immediate deployment.
The product has been tested by DNV. According to Richard Fruehmann, senior engineer at DNV, “The results from our trial show that the WindCube 2.1 XP has significantly improved data availability with equal wind speed measurement accuracy.”
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