Benefit assessment of installing innovative conductors in overhead lines

The ongoing evolution of the electricity system to implement climate action policies translates into a continuous increase in the penetration of renewables and the need to strengthen the transmission grid to optimize the use of these sources and contain operating costs. The development of innovative overhead line conductors with better performance than those of traditional lines would bring benefits in terms of increased energy efficiency in transmission and distribution networks without requiring the replacement of existing towers. The project CALAJOULE, co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in the framework of the “Ricerca di Sistema” programme, aims at proposing innovative solutions for overhead line conductors for the containment of Joule power losses. This paper presents the main characteristics of the innovative conductors along with the expected benefits deriving from their use in place of the traditional ones.