Tutorial I

                                                                                                                                                            Zhongbei Tian

                                                                                                                             University of Birmingham, UK

Bio: Dr Zhongbei Tian leads research in transport energy system decarbonisation. His research interests include modelling and analysis of energy systems for rail, road, and maritime transport; smart energy system management and optimisation; and the integration of sustainable transport energy systems with the Smart Grid. He has published more than 100 high-impact papers and has led numerous projects funded by EPSRC, the Royal Society, Horizon 2020, Network Rail, RSSB, and Innovate UK. His research has been deployed internationally, including by Network Rail and Edinburgh Trams in the UK, Madrid Metro in Spain, SMRT in Singapore, and Beijing and Guangzhou Metro in China. He received the prestigious 2016 European Partnership for Railway Energy Settlement Systems (ERESS) Award for Best Energy Efficiency Project for Railways.

Title: From Energy Consumers to Flexibility Providers: Planning Low-Carbon Transport Energy Systems for Resilient Distribution Networks

Abstract: The decarbonisation of transport is transforming distribution networks as electrified road and rail systems evolve from passive energy consumers into active flexibility providers. This presentation explores integrated planning approaches through two UK case studies. The first study investigates integrated energy systems (IESs) for motorway service areas supporting battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The framework combines transport demand modelling, renewable generation, energy storage, hydrogen infrastructure, and grid reinforcement planning. Traffic uncertainty is addressed using empirical chance constraints and Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR). Results show that integrated energy systems can reduce annualised costs by up to 68%, lower carbon emissions, and significantly improve resilience during extreme operating conditions. The second study examines flexible railway traction power supply systems delivering flexibility services to distribution networks under UK Power Networks (UKPN) flexibility products. A two-stage planning framework integrates photovoltaic generation, hybrid energy storage, and robust optimisation using Information Gap Decision Theory (IGDT). The results demonstrate that flexibility value depends strongly on service requirements, traction load characteristics, and storage design. Together, these studies demonstrate how transport energy systems can enhance flexibility, resilience, and decarbonisation while supporting the transition to future low-carbon distribution networks.

Tutorial II

        TBC