Connection Journeys AI
Project partners: Baringa and EA Technology
| Funding mechanism | Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) |
|---|---|
| Duration | Jun 2025 - Nov 2025 |
| Estimated expenditure | £418,859 |
| Research area | Optimised Assets and Practices |
Connection Journeys AI is a project that is seeking to understand where artificial intelligence (AI) could be applied in the connection journey, where it should be prioritised, and the specific gaps which could prevent the full capability of AI from being realised.
Problem(s)
Within the energy sector, one of the biggest topics of the last three years has been the size of the queue to connect to the electricity grid. NGED’s queue is now over 50 GW and includes more than double the amount of generation needed for Clean Power 2030 (CP30). The challenge is greatest at the high voltage (HV) and extra high voltage (EHV) levels where the queue continues to grow, and where both generation and demand connections are a time-intensive and multi-team process. Currently there is limited understanding of where AI could be applied in the HV and EHV connection journeys, where it should be prioritised and the specific gaps which could prevent the full capability of AI from being realised.
Method(s)
The project will seek to understand where the opportunities for AI are, which we should prioritise, and select one to develop into a demonstratable Proof of Concept (PoC) through seven work packages (WP). Baringa are leading the project with EA Technology providing additional support and power systems engineering expertise. These work packages are outlined below.
Work Package 1 – Customer Journey Analysis
The project begins with Baringa leading and EA Technology supporting a review of the HV and EHV connection journeys; identifying the commonalities, and understanding the detailed processes behind each stage of the connection journey. The first part of this is a high-level workshop with senior managerial stakeholders. The purpose of this workshop is to set the strategic outlook for the project and to get a high-level view of where the perceived pain points are. The subsequent three workshops will focus specifically on the three connections tranches identified below:
- pre-application,
- application and offer, and
- energisation.
Work Package 2 – AI Use Case Prioritisation
The second work package focuses on determining how the use cases for AI should be prioritised. This will be achieved through a prioritisation workshop consisting of the same senior managerial staff who attended the mobilisation workshop. This will enable the project partners to understand the factors that affect business stakeholders’ willingness to engage with AI in particular areas generally. It will also help to inform how to choose the most valuable PoC.
Work Package 3 – Use Case Analysis
Once the general AI prioritisation criteria has been established, the project partners will need to investigate what is possible within NGED’s systems through meetings with IT and Data stakeholders. There is also the need to understand what other AI projects may be happening throughout the business. This will start to inform thinking for the Work Package 4 Roadmap, but most crucially will enable a final use case ranking for AI which has considered technical constraints within NGED systems.
Work Package 4 – PoC Design
This stage focuses on the design of the chosen PoC as identified in Work Package 3. During this work package, the project partners will develop a first visual design of the PoC to present to key IT/technical stakeholders. Technical stakeholders will then be able to feedback on this. This will inform the stage gate and enable project sponsors to make a decision on whether to continue to the PoC demonstration stage.
Work Package 5 – HV and EHV Connection Journeys AI Roadmap
Work Package 5 will then consolidate the learnings from Work Packages 1, 2 and 3 in order to create a forward-looking roadmap for NGED to be able to have a view as to what needs to happen in two, five, and seven years to implement or to prepare for AI in the HV and EHV connection journeys. If the PoC delivery stage does not go ahead, then this will be the key outcome from the project.
STAGE GATE – Decision to be made on whether or not to go ahead with PoC.
Work Package 6 – PoC Delivery
Work Package 6 will deliver a PoC which can be demonstrated to stakeholders and will help determine whether the project goes on to further phases. This will be presented to stakeholders in combination with the AI Roadmap to provide a full picture as to the outcomes of the project.
Work Package 7 – Learning Capture and Dissemination
Work Package 7 will bring the project to a close with an external dissemination event and a final project report. This project report will capture all the learnings gathered from stakeholders in Work Package 1 and show how stakeholder knowledge and opinion has informed the development of the two key deliverables which are the AI Roadmap (Work Package 5) and the PoC (Work Package 6). It will end with the next steps in terms of recommendations and what further project phases could look like.
Scope
The high voltage (HV) and extra high voltage (EHV) connection journeys are distinct but have numerous commonalities and can be broken down into the following tranches: pre-application, application and offer, and energisation. Currently there is limited understanding of where artificial intelligence (AI) could be applied in these connection journeys, where it should be prioritised and the specific gaps which could prevent the full capability of AI from being realised. The scope of the work is therefore, as given in the work packages, to understand the HV and EHV connection journeys and where AI could be applied, to determine the use cases and prioritise them for further development and to develop a PoC solution for a selected use case.
Within the last decade there has been huge change in the targets which have been set to the networks and the wider energy sector:
2019 – Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019 made reaching net zero by 2050 legally binding in the UK.
2021 – UK committed to decarbonise the electricity system by 20235.
2024 – Clean Power 2030 (CP30) has set a new target for Great Britain’s electricity demand to be met by clean power by 2030.
It is impossible to know what new changes and targets the next decade may bring but it is clear that Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) like NGED will require modern and adaptable HV and EHV connection journeys to facilitate them. NGED has begun to implement efficiencies and greater digitalisation in its connection journeys, but by bringing the future of AI into the present, this innovation project will ensure that DNOs are creating ambitious and future-proofed connection journeys with the capability to take us to net zero.
Benefits for the DNO are expected to mostly relate to time savings for both the DNO and the customer. It is hoped that AI will also be able to identify erroneous data and provide an improved customer experience.