About this Event
CIGRE UK is pleased to announce its 2026 Annual Technical Conference, taking place on Thursday 3rd December 2026, 08:30 to 15:30, at the IET Austin Court, Birmingham. This year’s theme, “One Grid for a Resilient Network Zero Electricity Network” will explore the proposition that the energy transition will succeed only if the grid of tomorrow is one integrated system.
Why attend the CIGRE UK’s Annual Technical Conference?
In just one day, this conference will bring together the power-system community to connect global expertise with the challenges and opportunities facing the GB energy sector. Building on the momentum and international knowledge exchange of the CIGRE Paris Session 2026, attendees will have the opportunity to: –
• Gain insights from the latest global developments and technical discussions.
• Understand what these developments mean for the GB power system.
• Learn from leading industry experts, engineers and researchers.
• Connect with peers and decision-makers from across the energy sector.
• Exchange ideas, challenges and practical solutions.
• Explore how innovation and international experience can support the delivery of our future power system.
One day. Global insights. GB challenges. Valuable connections. Practical ideas to take back to your organisation.
Attendance Fee: includes refreshments and lunch
- CIGRE UK Individual Member (including NGN), Collective Member: £90 + VAT
- Non-Member: £180 + VAT
- Student Member: £45 + VAT
Conference Presenters and Content
The day’s activity will be moderated by James Yu, CIGRE UK Technical Committee Chair, and include contributions from Mark Waldron, CIGRE UK Chair and Jonathan Chapman, CIGRE UK Vice-Chair.
Presenters include:
- Julian Leslie – Director of Strategic Energy Planning and Chief Engineer, NESO
- Phil Clements - Director of Network Engineering & Chief Engineer, SSEN Transmission
- Martin Southall - Power Systems Engineering Manager, GE Vernova
- Mark Jones - Transmission Control Centre, SSEN Transmission
- Xiaoming Li – Chief Engineer, Zenobe
Special Reports from CIGRE Session 2026:
- James Pilgrim : Study Committee B1, Insulated Cables
- Bless Kuri : Study Committee C1, Power System Developments & Economics
- John W Wright : Study Committee B5, Protection & Automation
HVDC Interconnector, from a developer perspective:
Moderated by Ben Marshall – UK Regular Member for B4 (DC Systems & Power Electronics)
- Dr Richard Poole - HVDC Principle Consultant, Global Transmission
- Nathan Farrell-Jones – Technical Manager for Offshore (HVDC) Project Delivery, National Grid
- Sheena Froggatt – Asset Engineering Assurance Manager for HVDC, National Grid
- Marc Vincent – Head of Project Development, National Grid
HVDC International Visit Report:
- Timothy Edwards – Senior Operability Lead, NESO
- Nathan Farrell Jones, Engineering Manager Offshore (HVDC) Project Delivery, National Grid
Panel: Interaction and interface between Transmission & Distribution
Jointly Chaired by: Xiaoyao Zhou – Senior Technical Leader, NESO and Jun Liang – UK Regular Member for C6 (Active Distribution Systems and Distributed Energy Resources)
- Mini Nambiar, Head of Strategic Technical Development, SSEN Transmission
- Tim Manandhar, DSO Senior Manager, UKPN
- Cheng Chen, Model Development Manager, NESO
- Shengji Tee, Principle Engineer, SPEN
- Charlotte Higgins, Director - Electricity Networks, ARUP
- Alan Richie, Chief Technology Officer, PNDC
NGN Report/Update/Posters
- Nan Chen, Chair CIGRE UK NGN
- Mark Kent, Lead Engineer, SPEN
Event venue & nearby stays
IET Birmingham: Austin Court, 80 Cambridge St, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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