RAPID - Automated Routing Infrastructure

Transmission line route design is moving from manual drafting to automated software. The project, called RAPID, directly addresses recommendations from the Winser report on speeding up new transmission infrastructure. Currently, planning the path for a new power line is a slow, manual process that can delay grid upgrades for years. This work will identify the specific problems that need solving to automate that route design, then develop a formal plan to put those innovations into routine practice. If successful, the approach could accelerate network development, helping the UK meet its net zero goals by removing a bottleneck in grid expansion. The impact would be largely invisible to the public—faster construction of the transmission lines that connect renewable energy sources to homes and businesses, without the long delays caused by current route planning methods. The project is practical and applied, focused on process innovation rather than fundamental science.