A PRESENTATION BY THE ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE OF THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Flooding Resilience of
Electricity Substations

David Southwell

Director of Communications
Energy Networks Association
david.southwell@energynetworks.org
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Introduction

The serious incidents of flooding in the Midlands and South Yorkshire

during the summer of 2007, the incident at Carlisle in 2005 and concerns
over climate change have highlighted the potential vulnerability of
electricity substations to major flood incidents.

As a result of the incidents in 2007, the Energy Minister requested a more

comprehensive assessment of electricity substations’ resilience to
flooding and the steps that may be taken to mitigate current and future
risks.

A Task Group led and facilitated by ENA and reporting to E3 has carried
out this work.
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Electricity Supply Chain

National Grid EHV HV LV

400kV and 275kV

400kV/275kV > 132kV 132kV > 33kV 33kV > 11kV 11kv > LV

11kV 400/230v
Grid Supply 132kV 33kV
Grid Primary Secondary
Points
Substation Substation Substation
nationalgrid DNO

Power Station

LV Supplies to
11kV
domestic
33kV Industrial Supplies Industrial &
& small
commercial
commercial
supplies
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Substation Typical Voltage Typical Number of

Approximate number Typical Size
Type Transformation Levels Customers Supplied

Grid 400kV to 132kV 377 250m by250m 200,000/500,000

132kV to 33kV 1,000 75m by 75m 50,000/125,000

Primary 33kV to 11 kV 4,800 25m by 25m 5,000/30,000

Distribution 11kV to 400/230V 230,000 4m by 5m 50/500

A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

400kV Grid
400kV Grid Substation
Substation
Operated by National Grid
Operated
Transition from National Grid toby
Distribution Company
National Grid

Transition
from National
Grid to
Distribution
Company
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

132kV Grid Substation

400kV Grid Substation
Operated by National Grid
Generally operated by
Transition from National Grid to
Distribution Company
Distribution Company
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Primary Substation
400kV Grid Substation
Operated by National Grid
Operated by
Transition from National Grid to
Distribution Company
Distribution Company
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Distribution Substation
400kV Grid Substation
Operated by National Grid
Operated by
Transition from National Grid to
Distribution Company
Distribution Company
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

132kV Grid Substation

400kV Grid Substation
showing mainGrid
Operated by National power
conductors at high
Transition from National
Distribution Company
Grid to

level but control

circuits located in
cubicles at lower level
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Typical Cubicle in Grid

Substation 400kV
showingGrid Substation
Operated by National Grid
control wiring
Transition from National Grid to
Distribution Company
potentially susceptible
to flooding
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

A combination of widespread flooding and extensive power outages

presents communities and those responding to the emergency with
particularly difficult problems.

Power outages can extend well beyond the flooded area affecting vital
services and the general infrastructure that supports a modern society.

It is important to consider these “societal costs” when considering

investment decisions and not just the flooding contribution to Customer
Minutes Lost shown below
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Flood Risk Information

Location Organisation Flood Flood Plain Flood Depth Type of Flooding

Warnings Mapping Mapping Covered
England and EA Yes (Including Yes Yes via EA Area Fluvial and Sea
Wales telephone Offices but limited
warnings) coverage
Scotland SEPA Yes Yes No Fluvial and Sea

At present only fluvial flooding from rivers and sea flooding is covered because this is
the only data for which EA and SEPA have a responsibility.
The report identifies the flood risk information that is currently available and
recommends a standard set of data for collation by Network Owners to identify flood
risk at each substation. It is essential that accurate flood depth information is available
to allow Network Owners to carry out satisfactory assessments.
At present there are no warning systems in place for surface water flooding. The
responsibility for this is being considered in more detail under Defra’s review: “Inland
Overview of Flood Risk Management”. In the meantime, the Met Office, and EA are
trialling the Extreme Rainfall Alert system and all Network Companies are receiving the
information.
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Systematic Approach to Flood

Risk Assessment and Protection
The Task Group has identified a number of steps in a systematic approach to
ensure the resilience of electricity supplies against flood risk. This approach
can be summarised as follows:-

a)Identify all substations (within scope) in the flood plain using best available
current data.

b)Establish the flood risk assessment for each substation to identify predicted
flood depth and other key factors to establish which substations are “at risk” i.e.
where the predicted depth of flooding is likely to cause damage to key parts of
the substation resulting in the loss of supplies to customers.

c)For each substation that is “at risk” of flooding, identify the flood impact for
that particular site including societal impact.
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Systematic Approach to Flood

Risk Assessment and Protection
Establish if the site is or will be protected by a flood protection scheme sponsored
by the appropriate public authority.

If the site is to remain unprotected by public authority, establish the most

appropriate protection solutions and the cost of protection works for each
substation. In establishing the most appropriate protection solutions,
companies will consider their individual approaches to managing flooding risk
e.g.

Moving the site

Provision of permanent or temporary barriers
Protecting all the site or only key areas.
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Levels of flood risk to be considered

and implications for investment

The Report recommends that for the purpose of developing initial proposals for
improving resilience the following levels of risk should be considered, however the
actual level of resilience will depend on a detailed assessment of the costs and
benefits for each site and the regulatory investment framework agreed with
Ofgem.

a) For Grid/Bulk Supply Point and Supergrid sites, which typically cover between
50,000 and 400,000 customers, subject to cost/benefit assessment electricity
supplies should be resilient to the level of flooding that would occur within a
1:1000 year flood contour. Where the cost benefit does not support this
approach, then as a minimum electricity supplies should be resilient to flooding
that may occur within a 1:100 year flood contour (or 1 in 200 for sea flooding)
without reliance on temporary flood protection methods.
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Raising bund
400kV Grid Substation
height, to critical
Operated by National Grid
Transition from National Grid to
plant and access
Distribution Company

steps .
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Raising bunding
400kV Grid Substation
to critical plant
Operated by National Grid
Transition from National Grid to
using metal
Distribution Company

panelling .
A PRESENTATION BY THE OF ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

Types of Electricity Substation

Exterior of building
400kV Grid Substation
flood
Operatedprotection.
by National Grid
Transition from National Grid to
Distribution Company
Access to Substation.