University of Birmingham joins National Grid partnership to shape future electricity network
University of Birmingham researchers will be helping accelerate the development of a more efficient, affordable and resilient electricity network.
With growing demands for power, renewable generation and secure, flexible systems, University of Birmingham experts will join a five-year partnership connecting them with National Grid engineers and project teams.
They will bring their expertise in electrical power systems, HVDC, FACTS, artificial intelligence and digital energy to the National Grid Electricity Transmission’s RIIO-T3 Innovation Academic Framework.
Birmingham is one of ten UK academic institutions participating in the framework, which will connect university researchers directly with National Grid innovation engineers and project teams between 2026 and 2031.
The partnership forms part of National Grid’s wider RIIO-T3 programme, under which up to £31 billion is expected to be invested in the electricity transmission network. The programme is intended to enable the connection of 35 GW of new electricity generation and storage and 19 GVA of new demand while maintaining network security, affordability and resilience.
Britain’s electricity system must expand at unprecedented speed without compromising stability, resilience or affordability. This partnership gives us a long-term route to work directly with National Grid engineers, address operationally important challenges and translate research into solutions that can ultimately be deployed on the network.
The partnership forms part of National Grid’s wider RIIO-T3 programme, under which up to £31 billion is expected to be invested in the electricity transmission network. The programme is intended to enable the connection of 35 GW of new electricity generation and storage and 19 GVA of new demand while maintaining network security, affordability and resilience.
The University’s contribution will draw on expertise across the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, led through the School of Engineering and Birmingham Energy Institute.
Researchers will contribute capabilities in power-system modelling and control, high-voltage direct current transmission, Flexible AC Transmission Systems, power electronics, digital energy technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, asset management, network resilience and whole-energy-system decarbonisation.
The University’s partnership will be led by Professor Xiao-Ping Zhang, Professor of Electrical Power Systems in the School of Engineering and Co-Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute.
Professor Zhang is internationally recognised for his research in HVDC, FACTS, smart grids and renewable-energy integration. In 2025, he received the IEEE Power & Energy Society Nari Hingorani FACTS Award for his contributions to the modelling and design of FACTS controllers in alternating- and direct-current transmission systems.
Professor Xiao-Ping Zhang said: “Britain’s electricity system must expand at unprecedented speed without compromising stability, resilience or affordability. This partnership gives us a long-term route to work directly with National Grid engineers, address operationally important challenges and translate research into solutions that can ultimately be deployed on the network.
“Advances in HVDC, FACTS, artificial intelligence, digital modelling and system control will be essential if we are to connect much greater volumes of renewable generation, storage and new electricity demand while maintaining a secure and flexible power system.”
Changing electricity sector
The framework will also provide a platform for connecting major industrial challenges with doctoral research, student projects, early-career researcher development and professional education, helping to build the highly skilled workforce required by the rapidly changing electricity sector.
Professor Sara Walker, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute, said: “Transforming the electricity transmission network is not a standalone engineering challenge. It connects electricity generation and storage with transport, heat, industry, markets, regulation and public policy.
“The Birmingham Energy Institute brings these disciplines together so that new technologies are not only technically effective, but also economically credible, environmentally sustainable and responsive to the needs of society. Long-term collaboration with National Grid will help us move more rapidly from research evidence to practical implementation.”
Professor Karl Dearn, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said: “National Grid’s decision to establish a long-term partnership with Birmingham is a strong endorsement of the depth, quality and relevance of our engineering and energy research.
“Through our School of Engineering and Birmingham Energy Institute, the University of Birmingham will bring its internationally respected expertise to bear on one of the most important infrastructure challenges facing the United Kingdom. Our partnership will support the translation of research into practical innovation while helping to develop the researchers, graduates and industrial relationships needed to deliver a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This is precisely the role that a globally engaged, research-intensive civic university such as Birmingham should play: working with major partners to strengthen national capability, create economic opportunity and address challenges of profound importance to society.”
The partnership builds on the University of Birmingham’s long-standing research in electrical power systems, smart grids, energy storage and whole-system decarbonisation, alongside its education and professional training for the next generation of power-system engineers.
Notes for editors
Notes for editors
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The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
The University of Birmingham’s Electrical Power and Control Systems Group undertakes research in power-system operation and control, smart grids, HVDC, FACTS, renewable-energy integration, electricity markets and network resilience.
The Birmingham Energy Institute brings together researchers from engineering, physical sciences, social sciences, economics and policy to develop sustainable energy solutions and support the regional, national and global transition to a net zero energy system.
The School of Engineering delivers an Institution of Engineering and Technology-accredited MSc in Electrical Power Systems and has maintained an uninterrupted record of professionally accredited power-engineering education for more than 40 years.