On 4th March 2026, from 14:00 to 17:00, the CIGRE UK University Hub – Birmingham Region hosted a distinguished lecture at the University of Birmingham. The lecture was delivered by Carl Barker, Distinguished Member of CIGRE and an industry expert from GE Vernova.
The event attracted CIGRE UK members, postgraduate students, doctoral researchers, and young professionals, providing an excellent opportunity for participants to gain insights into modern power system technologies and their role in supporting the UK’s energy transition.
At the beginning of the lecture, Ms Wenyan Qian, Vice-Chair of the CIGRE UK University Hub – Birmingham Region, briefly introduced the CIGRE UK Next Generation Network and the activities organised by the Birmingham Hub. She also highlighted the role of the organisation in connecting students, young professionals, and industry experts within the global power engineering community.
The event is being held at School of Engineering, University of Birmingham on 4th March. Our Vice-Chair Wenyan Qian officially kicked off the event with a warm welcome to all attendees and gave an introduction to the CIGRE UK University Hub – Birmingham Region. Our Ambassador and Advisor for the Hub, Professor Xiao-Ping Zhang introduced our speaker Mr. Carl Barker, whose wealth of experience set a high bar for the afternoon’s discussions.
During the lecture, Carl Barker provided a comprehensive overview of the technologies supporting the modern power transmission system and their role in enabling the transition towards a low-carbon electricity network. He first discussed the increasing demand for electricity and the rapid growth of renewable generation, highlighting the challenges this brings to transmission networks. The lecture then compared the characteristics of HVAC and HVDC transmission systems, explaining the economic considerations and the concept of break-even transmission distance. Carl further introduced practical applications of VSC-HVDC technology, including offshore wind transmission projects and large-scale interconnections.
In addition, the lecture explored the importance of reactive power management and Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) technologies, such as Fixed Series Capacitors (FSC), Mechanically Switched Capacitors (MSC), Thyristor Controlled Reactors (TCR), and Thyristor Switched Capacitors (TSC). These technologies play a crucial role in improving voltage stability, increasing transmission capacity, and supporting the integration of renewable energy sources. The presentation also touched on emerging technologies such as grid-forming converter control and multi-terminal HVDC networks, which are expected to play an important role in future power systems with high renewable penetration.
The lecture concluded with a group photograph of the speaker and participants, capturing a memorable moment of the event and celebrating the successful exchange of knowledge within the power engineering community, followed by a networking session.
Written by: Guanglin Qu
Secretary, CIGRE UK University Hub – Birmingham Region
Edited by: Wenyan Qian
Vice-Chair, CIGRE UK University Hub – Birmingham Region
