Organisational, systems and telecoms

Learn about the organisational, systems and telecommunications (OST) workstream, including its objectives and the work it delivered, and download reports relating to its activities.

The OST workstream’s objective

The OST workstream’s objective was to develop the process design, communications and systems required to coordinate all parties involved in an electricity restoration service – also known as black start.

The workstream also sought to highlight changes that would be needed across distributed energy resources (DERs), distribution network operators (DNOs), transmission owners (TOs) and the NESO.

What did the workstream deliver?

The OST workstream specified the requirements for information systems and telecommunications. It highlighted the need for resilience and the challenges of coordinating an electricity system restoration service across many parties.

Engaged stakeholders with desktop exercises

A series of desktop exercises proved valuable in testing the workstream’s proposals. This also allowed a wide cross-section of industry parties to participate and share in project learnings.

Resourcing requirements

Resourcing requirements for DNOs are eased by the introduction of automation.

It’s expected that one DNO control engineer will be capable of managing a single distribution restoration zone (DRZ), including loading the anchor to a stable operating position.

Frequency and voltage control capabilities

Distributed ReStart will be the first process to require voltage and frequency control capability within DNOs under an emergency condition.

The anchor DER will need sufficient engineering resources to meet this requirement within eight hours of instruction (from the lead DNO) to the point of energisation. This also applies to any top‑up service providers from the point of DRZ instruction.

Therefore, it’s essential that training focuses on this specific capability, despite the support received through automation.