To achieve CIGRE’s strategic technical focus it operates 16 global Study Committees. This is the ‘engine room’ that drives CIGRE’s power system knowledge development and covers the key technical domains of a power system. The scope of work and activity of the Study Committees can be found by clicking on this link.
The 16 Study Committee have over 250 active Working Groups, made up from individuals from around the work looking to investigate and solve problems. CIGRE UK provides a ‘Regular Members’ to each Study Committee who make contributions as subject matter experts in their field. To view the current list of Working Groups click on this link.
To support its technical activities, CIGRE UK operates a Technical Committee, as illustrated below, with the mandate to promote collaboration, knowledge development and the excellence of CIGRE as a technical authority.
UK Technical Committee Chair
Dr James Yu
James Yu (MBE) is a charted engineer and an elected Fellow at IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) and Royal Society of Edinburgh. He Chairs CIGRE UK’s Technical Committee and is the convenor of a joint CIGRE Medium Voltage DC Distribution Working Group. James joined the UK electricity transmission/distribution industry after he finished his studies from Newcastle upon Tyne. He has taken various technical, commercial and managerial roles in the industry since 2003. James has been the principal investigator for several flagship innovation projects at the UK and EU level to facilitate the low carbon transition for the electricity sector with a portfolio over £150m. His focus includes data sharing infrastructure, system stability, power electronics, pushing the innovation into business as usual.
Secretary
Dr Jiajie Luo
Jiajie is a Senior Engineer at Arup. He is an experienced Electrical Engineer specialising in power system study and analysis, wind electrical system design and control, and renewable energy integration.
Whole System Lead
Cheng Chen
Cheng Chen is a highly accomplished and experienced leader in power systems engineering with over 25 years of experience in the energy sector. Currently serving as the Head of Offline Modelling at National Energy System Operator, Cheng Chen has a strong track record in strategic leadership, innovative technology implementation and stakeholder engagement. Known for delivering complex projects and driving organisational change, they excel in both operational and regulatory environments. His is currently leading a large engineering team to develop and maintain critical analytical tools for electricity transmission system operation and planning; implementing strategic IT infrastructure investment plans to support a Zero Carbon transition and Clean Power 2030 Mission.
Technical Events Lead
John Wright
John Wright has over 35 years’ experience in the Grid Automation industry and expertise in the complete life cycle of Protection & Control products, systems and solutions. He is currently Consulting Engineer & Technical Applications Engineer Leader – Europe, Central Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa at GE Vernova. He is a GE Vernova Senior Fellow, Chartered Engineer and IET Fellow, CIGRE B5 UK Regular Member and Recipient of the 2021 CIGRE B5 Technical Council Award, and 2024 CIGRE UK Outstanding contribution award.
UK STUDY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEMBERS
Click on the study committee subject heading below to learn about their scope and areas of interest
STUDY COMMITTEES - EQUIPMENT
Elizabeth has worked in the transformer industry for most of her career, including electrical design of distribution and power transformers up to 400kV and earthing transformers. She has held senior engineering positions in ABB, Hawker Siddeley Power Transformers, Winder Power and IST Power. Elizabeth is currently a consultant, with a scope covering transformers from specification through tender and manufacturer assessment to design reviews, witness testing and failure investigation.
STUDY COMMITTEES - TECHNOLOGIES
John Wright has over 35 years’ experience in the Grid Automation industry and expertise in the complete life cycle of Protection & Control products, systems and solutions. He is currently Consulting Engineer & Technical Applications Engineer Leader – Europe, Central Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa at GE Vernova. He is a GE Vernova Senior Fellow, Chartered Engineer and IET Fellow, CIGRE B5 UK Regular Member and Recipient of the 2021 CIGRE B5 Technical Council Award, and 2024 CIGRE UK Outstanding contribution award.
STUDY COMMITTEES - SYSTEMS
![20240408_075858_2-removebg-preview[57]](https://cigre.org.uk/web-cont1001/uploads/20240408_075858_2-removebg-preview57-150x150.png)
Bless is the Director of Strategic Energy Planning with SSEN Transmission, the Transmission Owner in the North of Scotland. He has served in the electricity industry for over 20 years mainly in the area of power system planning for transmission and distribution systems. He is the CIGRE UK Regular Member for the C1 Study Committee. Bless holds a PhD degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and an MSc degree in Electrical Power Systems from the University of Bath, UK.
Dr Hayley Tripp is the Elected Regular Member of the CIGRE UK Study Committee C3. She is a Lead Environmental Engineer at National Grid, where she manages electric and magnetic field issues for the business. She is also a member of Advisory Group C3-1, and chair of the Electric Power Research Institutions P60 utilities committee and the Electricity Industries Mortality Study Steering Group. Hayley holds a degree in Biology and a PhD in Neuroendocrinology, focusing on the effects of electric and magnetic fields on human health. She is a member of the Royal Society for Biology, the IET and the IES.
STUDY COMMITTEES - NEW MATERIALS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Jianing Li (PhD, BEng, MIET, MCIGRE, MIEEE, APM PMQ) is an accomplished Associate Consultant leading the Manchester Power Systems team at WSP UK. With a strong background in power systems, he has been instrumental in working with networks and investors to develop advanced models and analyses that enhance grid flexibility and resilience. His experience extends to delivering complex grid compliance assessments and designing innovative solutions that meet the evolving requirements of modern energy systems. Jianing serves as the UK Regular Member for CIGRE Study Committee D2. He was past Chair of the CIGRE UK Next Generation Network, in addition to his past role as Chair of the IEEE UK and Ireland Power and Energy Society Chapter.