Joint research of NZ’s future power grid
AUT researchers are part of a multi-university project on New Zealand’s future power grid.
The Ministry of Business Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) has funded a multi-university project to future proof the New Zealand electrical grid. The seven-year $13m project, led by University of Canterbury Engineering Professor Neville Watson, will ensure modern renewable energy can be integrated into the country’s century-old electrical grid to future-proof the power supply and benefit every New Zealander.
Professor Tek Tjing Lie and Senior Lecturer Dr Kosala Gunawardane from the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences’ Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department are excited to be part of the project.
“Our future electrical supply is of huge interest to all New Zealanders,” says Professor Lie. “The move to new generation methods such as solar and wind require requires huge changes to the way our electrical grid functions. Ensuring a sustainable and efficient power grid that takes advantage of novel methods of generation is crucial to our future prosperity.”
Professor Watson’s research team comprises of researchers from the Power System Group at the University of Auckland, AUT, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Waikato, and the local Christchurch team from the University of Canterbury and UC’s EPECentre, as well as dozens of overseas collaborators from leading universities, international organisations and companies.