NPG Transformer Replacement Trial

Ayah Alfawaris, Head of Group Marketing & Sustainability at Wilson Power Solutions, stated: “We have over 1,000 installations of the Super Low Loss transformers across the UK. They save customers significant amounts of energy and tons of carbon emissions. Northern Powergrid was the first DNO to install Wilson e2 Super Low Loss Amorphous® Transformers. This project acts as a stepping stone to showcase how forward-thinking and investing in the right technology could reduce costs for the customer and ultimately help the UK reach its Net Zero target.”

The asset replacement trial has the potential to save 2GWh of energy annually—equivalent to boiling 20 million kettles—and to reduce carbon emissions by 568 tonnes per year. Aisha Ahmad, Smart Grid Development Engineer at Northern Powergrid, commented: “For too long, losses have been seen as an unavoidable reality of network operation, but new technology means we can now tackle the problem head-on. Trials like this will help build our understanding of losses, support decarbonisation and make Northern Powergrid’s network as efficient and reliable as possible.”

The initiative was part of Northern Powergrid’s Losses Discretionary Reward programme, which was submitted to Ofgem in March 2020. This programme combined loss analysis, stakeholder engagement, and operational improvements to minimise losses and carbon emissions. It also aimed to improve the understanding of technical losses and guide long-term loss reduction strategies for Northern Powergrid’s 3.9 million customers across the North East, Yorkshire, and northern Lincolnshire.

Over 12 months, Northern Powergrid conducted extensive testing, including sound testing, thermal imaging, and power quality analysis, to evaluate the performance of the five transformers installed at strategically selected sites. The trial locations included Jarrow, Consett, Bishop Auckland, and two additional sites in Hull.

Transformer core losses, also known as no-load losses, occur due to hysteresis and eddy currents caused by the alternating magnetic field in the transformer core. These losses are constant from the moment a transformer is energised. Amorphous transformers are built using advanced materials with low core loss properties, significantly reducing these losses and making them a highly efficient choice for modern power networks.