Extreme weather events such as wildfires, winter storms, and floods are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, caused by global warming. It is estimated that more than 70% of natural disasters are associated with climate change and the figure is expected to grow in future. These events not only cause loss of life but also result in significant damage to critical infrastructures such as power systems, water and gas networks, health care facilities, communication, and transportation networks. The global price tag of these disaster events is estimated at US$250 billion to US$300 billion per annum. Therefore, governments and organisations are putting more effort into making their critical infrastructures sustainable and resilient.
In Malaysia, the consumption of electricity has shown a steady rise over the past decade and the country has witnessed strong economic growth. As Malaysia enters the era of mechanization, computerization, and Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0), reliable power supply plays an even greater role in determining industrial productivity and thus profitability as well as the country’s performance at the macro level. Therefore, in Eleventh Malaysia Plan (2016-2020), the government has given due consideration to increase the resilience of energy-related infrastructure against potential climate change impacts. In this respect, this project is aimed at enhancing Malaysian power grid resilience against lightning strikes and flash floods. This research will also highlight the economic and societal benefits of the improvement of power system resiliency while considering direct and indirect costs associated with power outages. This work will help towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 9.
This Impact-Oriented Interdisciplinary Research Grant (IIRG) programme titled ‘Improvement of Power Grid Resilience in Malaysia and its Economic Benefits’ is comprised of the following three sub-programmes:
Prof. Ir. Dr. Hazlie Bin Mokhlis is the programme leader, and the duration of the project is 2 years. This research will provide a pragmatic solution to enhance the resiliency of the Malaysian power grid against extreme weather for economic benefits and will help to mark the impact of power disruptions on the economy. The research involves engineering and economic disciplines. Sub-programme 1 will develop an optimal network restoration strategy to avoid flash floods at the distribution level. Sub-programme 2 will develop a new protection technique to mitigate lightning strikes at the transmission system. Whereas sub-programme 3 will focus on the economic analysis of power disruptions, caused by these natural hazards, and the benefits of a resilient power grid from an economic perspective.
As more parts of our everyday lives electrify, large-scale power cuts can do more than just turn out the lights. Climate change is now a scientifically proven reality that is already affecting all of us. Extreme weather events driven by climate change are a major threat to existing power systems as a majority of the grid exists above ground, hence exposed to such events. With a shift in the climate system, due to global warming, Malaysia is facing climate-related threats in the form of more severe flooding and a gradual rise in temperatures. As a result, lightning and flash floods have been identified as major weather-related events causing a majority of power disruptions and outages, that incur significant costs to society. Therefore, improving the resilience of transmission and distribution systems is crucial and inevitable to reduce these power outages during extreme weather events. To achieve this goal, the scope of each sub-programme is outlined as under:
Sub-programme 1: Improvement of Power Distribution System Resilience Against Flash Floods
This sub-programme is to examine the technical impacts and develop a mathematical model of flash flood behaviours on the Malaysian power distribution system. Moreover, the design of a comprehensive resilience metric and the development of an optimal network restoration strategy are also part of this work. The objectives of this sub-programme are listed as under:
It is estimated that lightning strike at the transmission system causes approximately 70% of the total annual line outages in Malaysia. Thus, improving the transmission line protection against lightning is crucial to avoid physical damage to the system equipment, which could prolong power supply interruptions to consumers. Though various lightning protection systems are already in place, a significant number of tripping due to lightning strikes still happen in Malaysia. Therefore, this sub-programme, with the following 4 objectives, will develop a novel protection technique for transmission line systems against lightning strikes.
This sub-programme is led by Associate Prof. Dr. Lau Wee Yeap from the Faculty of Economics and Administration. It focuses on the economic analysis of electrical supply disruptions in Malaysia due to severe weather and the benefits of improving power grid resilience. The objectives in focus are outlined as under:
Last Update: 19/04/2023