UK - National Grid's Deeside Centre for Innovation in North Wales is the first of its kind in Europe, where electricity network assets can be tested under real-life conditions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

National Grid has announced that together with the University of Manchester, they are collaborating on a four-year project to develop a full-scale demonstrator at the Deeside Centre for Innovation, designed to test at scale how the UK can retrofill sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) across its network of high-voltage equipment.

According to National Grid, the £1.9 million ($2.2 million) project will see experts at Manchester help determine how National Grid can develop a retrofill solution to replace SF6 with an environmentally friendlier alternative without having to replace or otherwise modify the existing equipment. This solution will mean National Grid can avoid the environmental impact and cost of replacing equipment otherwise fit for many more years of service.

According to National Grid, their Deeside Centre for Innovation in North Wales is the first of its kind in Europe, where electricity network assets can be tested under real-life conditions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Source: National Grid