Theme 1 – Future net zero Power Systems
- Outlook - quantifying challenge and key blockers and enablers
- Planning and operating net-zero power systems
- Bridging political ambitions and engineering complexity of the energy transition
- Techno-economic analysis and optimisation of DC systems
- Identifying staged implementation strategies and the anticipatory specification requiring techno-economic analysis justification
- Modelling of power electronic systems for large area AC network stability studies
- Impact on the grid of moving to 100% power electronic fed renewable generation
- Control of converters in power networks with declined system inertia and low fault level networks
- Real Time Digital Simulation modelling including power hardware in the loop (PHiL).
Theme 2 – DC grids: control strategies and technologies
- Planning, design, specification, and operation of multi-vendor environments
- AC system integration considerations from DC grids
- DC hubs and DC networks, optimal topologies control and protection strategies
- High power DC/DC converters (isolated and non-isolated)
- DC grid control and protection
- DC circuit breakers (hybrid and mechanical)
- New forms of DC application such as DC hubs or energy islands
- Strategies for AC and DC fault ride-through and fault restoration in DC grids
- Multi-terminal HVDC converter control and protection (both VSC and LCC)
- Generic DC grids with VSCs and LCCs
- Testing demonstration and verification of the above.
Theme 3 – Innovations
- Technology opportunities for delivery of large offshore systems
- Stability and reliability options available from enhanced control, monitoring and specification
- Definitions of Grid forming as relates to DC Grids and DC systems.
- Onshore AC grid support; including grid-forming converter operation and ancillary services including black-start
- Operation and control of offshore power systems
- Advances in modelling as relevant to the analysis of DC systems and large power converters (real-time and non-real-time)
- Systems stability - Incorporation and balancing of flexibility, stability and agility in the grid
- Frequency domain techniques to manage HVDC interactions
- Bulk power transmission cables including superconductive cable systems.
Theme 4 – Power electronics converters for HVDC/FACTS
- Power semiconductor devices for HVDC/FACTS systems
- HVDC power converter modulation and control strategies
- Half and full bridge modular multilevel converters
- Hybrid converters and modular converters with smart submodules
- Other converter topologies
- Strategies for internal fault management in modular and hybrid converters
- DC technology at medium and low voltage
- Innovations and Integration of energy storage through a power electronics interface
- Grid-forming and Grid-following converters.
Theme 5 –Next steps towards implementation of net zero energy systems
- New HVDC and/or FACTS projects planned or under development providing examples of new functions/ capabilities
- Operating experiences (lessons learned) from existing HVDC and FACTS installations
- Practical experiences in procurement, contracting, project management and supply chain management
- Standardisation and interoperability
- Asset Management – maintenance, retrofit and refurbishment of equipment and systems
- R&D prioritisation
- Policy enablement across areas of Front End Engineering Design, procurement, consenting and environmental assessments, and associated evaluations and optimisations.