National Grid has launched Triton, a digital-twin and data visualisation tool to improve electricity infrastructure planning.

Developed in collaboration with French firm Atos, a specialist in AI-powered digital transformation, Triton will enable National Grid to accelerate how it plans future electricity networks and support the significant increase in energy demand required to achieve decarbonisation goals.

Triton is a visual platform that gives a clear view of how electricity demand is expected to grow across the network. By mapping future demand at grid supply points and transmission substations, it provides long‑term insight to support planning and investment in the grid where it will be needed most.

By creating a digital replica of physical infrastructure and designing Triton to process and manage this data, National Grid will be able to run network scenarios that accelerate planning, reducing the time needed to analyse and decide on where to reinforce the network by 70%.

Triton consolidates thousands of datasets made available by distribution network operators and transmission owners, automating complex processes and enabling scenario modelling. This helps identify where reinforcement or new infrastructure will be required, and it could support the assessment of future customer connections, such as data centres or embedded generation, on local and regional network capacity.

Triton also feeds directly into National Grid’s deeper monitoring and engineering tools, speeding up model configuration and enabling faster stress-testing of multiple networks to identify the strongest, most future-ready options. Together, these features enable more informed and flexible decision-making and will support recommendations of future network upgrades.

“Triton demonstrates how innovation, data and technology can drive positive change and accelerate progress towards our decarbonisation goals,” said Owen Wilkes, network design director at National Grid (www.nationalgrid.com). “Through our collaboration with Atos we have created a product that will enable National Grid to virtually model scenarios for how, when and where we upgrade our network to meet increased demand for energy, ensuring we continue to deliver a resilient, future-ready electricity network for all.”

Graham Scanlon, head of critical national infrastructure at Atos (atos.net), added: “This tool will improve efficiency and remove risk for National Grid. They can now make smart data-based decisions quickly. We’re pleased to have been able to support both on their current operations and needs but also on their future business. We are continually innovating on how to use technology to meet the challenge of climate change and shifting geo-political winds.”