Birmingham Decarbonisation Summer School 2025
- Location
- School of Engineering (Building Y8)
- Dates
- Monday 16 June (09:30) - Thursday 19 June 2025 (16:30)
The Electrical Power and Control Systems research group from the School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, is organising the 3rd Birmingham Decarbonisation Summer School at The University of Birmingham.
What is BDSS?
BDSS 2025 "Accelerating Energy Transition towards Net Zero" is a 4-day event from 16 - 19 June, aiming to bring early career researchers and engineers to work together on a technical solution and business model for a real-world Energy Transition challenge proposed by our lead industrial partner, SSEN Transmission. Participants will have two days of workshops (technical presentations and soft skill training) with some opportunities of working in groups to develop their technical solution and business model, and then pitch to a judging panel mainly formed by industry experts on the third day. A post-competition one-day conference will bring international experts together to share their insights on how HVDC could benefit Net Zero. This year's BDSS brings academic researchers and industry engineers together to collaborate with each other, aiming to strengthen the knowledge and experience sharing between academia and industry and facilitate the personal development and networking of summer school participants.
BDSS provides all participants with opportunities to work in groups on a real-world Energy Transition challenge. This will train the participants to consider both technical and economic aspects when they formulate solutions to real-world challenges to achieve Net Zero. By collaborating with researchers from other areas such as business and engineers from industry utility, participants are expected to develop their interdisciplinary research capability, practical engineering problem-solving ability, and networking. The collaboration between academic researchers and industry engineers can also benefit each other in developing their skills for transitioning to industry and leading research projects collaborating with university partners, respectively. Also, networking with keynote speakers will facilitate the early career development of all participants. Moreover, summer school participants will have the chance to take part in an interdisciplinary research on how to present to industry stakeholders more effectively.
This event is open to all postgraduate students, early career researchers and engineers from academia and industry, who are working in Net-Zero related disciplines in the UK.
How you will benefit from BDSS
Take this great opportunity to join us to:
- Gain awareness of what the real challenges are of the Energy Transition towards net-zero
- Meet world-class experts in net-zero from industry and academia
- Work collaboratively with other researchers on a real-world net-zero challenge
- Pitch to a judge panel and win £500 prize (Amazon voucher or similar, for the winner group)
- Learn about how to present to industry stakeholders more effectively
BDSS 2025 Programme
- Day 1 (Monday, 16 June) - Introduction to Summer School Challenge, Lectures, Panel Discussions, Group Work on the challenge
- Day 2 (Tuesday, 17 June) - Lectures, Panel Discussions, Group Work
- Day 3 (Wednesday, 18 June) - Group Work, Final Pitch Judging Day, Award Ceremony
- Day 4 (Thursday, 19 June) - One-day Conference on HVDC
Topics
- Innovative Pathways to Net-Zero - From Vision to Reality
- Whole system approaches and H2 for achieving net-zero
- Grid Automation & Protection Technology
- HVDC and Power Electronics for network operability
- HVDC and Power Electronics in the Future Smart Electric Grid
- Electricity Transmission System Assets
- Integrating Offshore Wind Gigawatts
- Energy storage, demand response, and policy
- Power systems analysis tools with EMT models
- Energy Quality – A key index for modern power systems
- Network Resilience and restoration standards
Key Speakers and Judges
- Bless Kuri, MSc, PhD, Director of Strategic Energy Planning, SSEN Transmission
Bless Kuri is the Director of Strategic Energy Planning at SSEN Transmission, the Electricity Transmission Owner in the north of Scotland where he oversees the strategic planning of the transmission system, taking a whole system approach. Bless has over 20 years' experience in the electricity industry, specialising in power system planning, energy system integration and investment in transmission networks.
He is the Chair and Regular Member of the CIGRE UK Study Committee C1 on power system development and economics. Bless holds a BSc Honours degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, an MSc degree in Electrical Power Systems and a PhD degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Bath.
- Xiaoyao Zhou, PhD, Operability policy manager, NESO, Honorary Professor, University of Birmingham
Dr Xiaoyao Zhou has two decades of transmission system operation, planning and investment experience.
His role is to set out operability policy for Great Britain’s electricity network to enable the net zero operation, specify the Grid Code technical requirements for new technologies and define future network needs so that market and network owners can invest in the right solutions at the right time.
Dr Xiaoyao Zhou is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham, UK.
- Charmalee Jayamaha , PhD, CEng, Power Systems Practice Manager, Energy Systems Catapult
Charmalee leads the Power Systems Practice at Energy Systems Catapult, driving innovation to tackle the challenges of decarbonising the UK's electricity transmission and distribution networks. Her team delivers technical expertise and thought leadership in power systems engineering to shape the future of a Net Zero energy system.
She was the UK Alternate Delegate to the IEA's International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN), where she led a global working group on Flexibility Markets. Formerly, Charmalee was seconded to BEIS (now DESNZ), where she led the UK’s delivery of the Green Powered Future Mission under Mission Innovation for COP26.
Charmalee has her academic roots in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham. Her PhD research focused on using energy storage to support frequency stability in weak electrical grids.
- John Wright, IET Fellow, GE Senior Fellow, Consulting and Technical Applications Engineering Leader - Europe, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa at GE VERNOVA, CIGRE UK B5 RM
John Wright has over 35 years’ experience in the Grid Automation industry and expertise in the complete life cycle of Protection & Control products, systems and solutions.
He is currently Consulting Engineer & Technical Applications Engineer Leader - Europe, Central Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa at GE Vernova. He is a GE Vernova Senior Fellow, Chartered Engineer and IET Fellow, Cigre B5 UK Regular Member and Recipient of the 2021 Cigre B5 Technical Council Award, and 2024 Cigre UK Outstanding contribution award.
- Mark Osborne, PhD, CEng, Lead Asset Lifecycle Engineer, National Grid Electricity Transmission
Dr Mark Osborne is a Chartered Engineer and joined National Grid in 1997. He works in Electricity Transmission in the Asset Management sector.
Key activities include substation and light current equipment life-cycle engineering to meet the challenges facing the Electricity supply industry. He is active in the CIGRE B3 Substations Study Committee as a Strategic Advisory Group member and Special Reporter.
- Spyros Karamitsos, MEng, MSc, PhD, UK Lead Grid and System Studies Manager, Scottish Power – Iberdrola Renewables, Innovation Lead, SPR's Electrical Department
Dr Spyros Karamitsos (MEng, MSc, PhD) is the Chair and Elected Regular Member of the CIGRE UK Study Committee C4. He is the UK Lead Grid and System Studies Manager at Scottish Power – Iberdrola Renewables, where he oversees the power system studies, electrical design, performance and grid code compliance for the East Anglia Hub Offshore Wind Complex (EAH ~3.1GW).
He is also the Innovation Lead of SPR's Electrical Department and actively contributes to several Technical Working Groups, within organisations like CIGRE, IEEE, IET and the Carbon Trust. With extensive experience in HVDC systems and renewable energy integration technologies, Spyros previously worked as Senior HVDC Engineer for the East Anglia 3 Offshore Windfarm Project, as a Power Systems Consultant at HVDC TECH and as an Industrial-Researcher at the University of Strathclyde focusing on power and converter control systems modelling, studies and analysis.
He holds a PhD degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, an M.Sc. degree from the University of Nottingham and an M.Eng. degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
- Craig Fraser, PhD, International Green Power Innovation lead, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Dr Craig Fraser leads on international engagement for power sector decarbonisation within the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. His team provides technical and strategic support on engagement in multilateral fora such as Mission Innovation (MI) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Craig coordinates the UK contribution to the MI Green Powered Future Mission and is the UK delegate for the IEA's International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN).
Previously, Craig worked in academia as a research chemist; first in Singapore where he obtained his Ph.D. in sustainable hydrogenation catalysis, before taking postdoctoral research positions at Northwestern University and then the University of Birmingham.
- Cheng Chen, MSc, MBA, MIET, CEng, Head of Offline Modelling, Engineering & Customer Solution, NESO
Cheng Chen is a highly accomplished and experienced leader in power systems engineering with over 25 years of experience in the energy sector.
Currently serving as the Head of Offline Modelling at National Energy System Operator, Cheng Chen has a strong track record in strategic leadership, innovative technology implementation and stakeholder engagement.
Known for delivering complex projects and driving organisational change, they excel in both operational and regulatory environments.
- Ibukunolu Oladunjoye, MSc, Ph.D, MIET, Innovation Engineer at National Grid Electricity Transmission UK
Dr Ibukunolu Oladunjoye works with National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) in the UK as an Innovation Engineer within the Infrastructure Development & Delivery (Strategy and Innovation) Net Zero Innovation team.
He manages NGET’s Automation, Control, Digitalisation and Operational Cyber Security Innovation portfolio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer Engineering, an MSc in Systems and Control, and a PhD in Control Engineering.
Ibukunolu brings valuable expertise to the table as he possesses diverse expertise spanning across engineering domains, including experience in the oil and gas and digital space. Just before joining National Grid, Ibukunolu worked as an Innovation Specialist on the Digital Rail project at the Centre for Railway Research and Education (University of Birmingham), where he acquired transferrable skills and knowledge relevant to the digital railway.
- Jay Ramachandran B.E., M.E., PhD, MIET, CEng, Operability Innovation Manager, NESO
Dr Jay Ramachandran is currently the manager of the Operability Innovation team at the National Energy System Operator (NESO) in the UK. Since joining the GB Electricity Transmission System Operator in 2011 and has held various roles within the organization.
With extensive experience in power system modelling and analysis, Jay now leads a team focused on developing Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) models and associated tools to analyse future power system operations with a high penetration of Inverter Based Resources (IBR). Prior to this role, Jay was a senior lecturer at Coventry University, UK. Jay's primary interest lies in analysing system stability and Control Interaction (CI) phenomena for future power system networks with a high penetration of IBR.
- Joe Sumners, Director & Group Leader in Energy Sector, Arup
Joe Sumners is an electrical director and group leader working in the Energy Sector. For the past 15 years, Joe has spearheaded the development of Arup’s UK’s Power Systems capability which specialise in technical analytics associated with offshore wind, power interconnectors, data centres, National Grid connection and the UK’s Great Grid Upgrade. He is a strong believer in the technical excellence of design delivery, not just in the excellence of today, but also in what will be required for continued excellence in the immediate years ahead.
- Carl Barker, Consulting Engineer, GE Vernova
Carl Barker holds a B.Eng from Staffordshire Polytechnic and a M.Sc. from Bath University in the UK. He joined GE’s Grid Solutions in Stafford, UK in 1989, initially working on the design and development of individual HVDC and SVC projects then becoming System Design Manager, responsible for all technical aspects of HVDC projects. He is, at present, a Consulting Engineer within the business providing technical support across many activities.
Carl is a Chartered Engineer in the UK and a member of the IET (UK), a Senior Member of the IEEE, a distinguished Member of CIGRE B4, and is an invited lecturer at a number of universities.
- Professor Sara Walker, Professor of Energy and Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute, University of Birmingham
- Xiao-Ping Zhang, FIEEE, FIET, Professor in Electrical Power Systems at the University of Birmingham, Co-Director, Birmingham Energy Institute
Xiao-Ping Zhang is currently a professor of electrical power systems with the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K. He is also the Co-Director of Birmingham Energy Institute.
Between 2020-2023, he was appointed to the Expert Advisory Group of U.K. Government’s Offshore Transmission Network Review. His research interests include modelling and control of HVDC, FACTS and wind/wave generation, distributed energy systems and market operations, and power system planning, and 100% global renewable energy grid. Since 2023, he has been appointed as the Senior Editor of IEEE Open Access Journal of Power and Energy.
- James Yu, MBE, FRSE, FIET, PhD, Ceng, CPM
James is a charted engineer and an elected Fellow at IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) and Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is the Technical Committee Chair of International Congress of Large Electrical Networks (CIGRE, UK); Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow.
James joined the UK electricity transmission/distribution industry after he finished his studies from Newcastle upon Tyne. He has taken various technical, commercial and managerial roles in the industry since 2003. James successfully initialised and led 11 EU/UK flagship energy innovation projects to facilitate the low carbon transition for the electricity sector. With over 30% of the overall national energy strategic innovation funding between 2013 and 2023, James’ leadership has been recognised by:
- Innovation Star Award (2016);
- The IET International Innovation and Excellence Gold Award (2023).
He received MBE in 2020 for his contribution to the energy supply industry and innovation.
- Xiaolin Ding, MSc, Ph.D, MBA, MIET, CEng, Innovation Lead, NGET
Xiaolin has extensive experience in power systems and energy innovation. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manchester in 2002, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen's University Belfast in 2006. After completing her studies, she joined National Grid, where she has accumulated a wealth of experience in various aspects of electrical engineering, including network modelling, power system analysis, system planning, and power quality.
Since 2019, she has been actively driving innovation within the electricity sector. As the Net-Zero Innovation Lead for power systems at National Grid Electricity Transmission, she spearheads initiatives aimed at advancing technologies in modelling, system analysis, control, and planning. Her work addresses the challenges of transitioning the energy network towards net-zero carbon goals.
Xiaolin is a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and is actively engaged in the global electrical engineering community as a member of several CIGRE working groups. Her contributions continue to advance the development of innovative solutions for resilient and sustainable power systems for the future.
- Professor Theodoros Arvanitis, Chair in Digital Health Technology; Head of Department of Electronic, Electrical & Systems Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham; Associate Director, HDR UK; Editor-in-Chief, Digital Health, SAGE.
- Nicola Gittins, Deputy Director, Student Entrepreneurship and Enterprise at the University of Birmingham.
- Claudia Favero, MSc, MAODE, EdD, FHEA
Dr Claudia Favero is a Teaching Fellow and Learning Designer at the University of Birmingham's School of Chemical Engineering. With a background in political science and digital education, she specialises in designing and delivering online and blended learning for higher education. She has taught and supported students across disciplines, with a focus on inclusive education, research skills, and digital pedagogy. She holds an EdD from the Open University, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and contributes to outreach and academic development through initiatives like The Brilliant Club and Coursera. Her recent work explores student belonging, accessibility, and the educational use of generative AI.
- Sharon Henson, C-DICE Project Manager, Loughborough University
- Thomas Björk, Chief Technology Officer, GE Vernova – Grid System Integration
Thomas Björk is the Chief Technology Officer of Grid System Integration within GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business, leading strategy, technology, and product development. In this role, Thomas is responsible for Grid System Integration’s Product Portfolio, R&D activities, and innovation partnerships.
Grid System Integration is a global player, providing systems, products and services for HVDC, FACTS and AC systems.
Thomas joined GE in 2019 as Executive Strategy and Product Manager for HVDC and FACTS. In 2021, Thomas restructured the HVDC organization and became the Leader for the Product Delivery Group HVDC, before taking on his current role.
During his career with ABB (today Hitachi Energy), Thomas has gained over 25 years of technical leadership and operational management experiences in turn-key projects and services within the energy sector, covering tendering, engineering, project management, site management and commissioning. His last role with Hitachi Energy was Global Product Group Manager for FACTS Service.
Prior to joining GE Vernova, he was working as Head of International Operations and Service for Region Greater China at KRONES, a leading German company in the F&B packaging industry.
More speakers and judges will be confirmed shortly.
Key Dates
- 28 April 2025 - Registration opens
- 26 May 2025 - Early Birds registration ends
- 5 June 2025 - Registration closes
- 9 June 2025 - Notification of participation and pre-sessional material released
- 16 – 19 June 2025 - BDSS
Registration Fees
| Date | Students | Non-students |
|---|
| Early Bird Registration (by 26 May 2025) |
£90 |
£150 |
| Full Registration (by 5 June 2025) |
£150 |
£250 |
Registration notes
- Fees include tea and coffee breaks, sandwich lunch, and pizza dinner within the Summer School
- Travel and accommodation are not included in the fee; participants attending the Summer School are responsible for making their own travel and accommodation arrangements
Co-organisers and Sponsors