Towards a holistic perspective of the existing overhead line power network to facilitate its flexible expansion

The problem of massive electricity transmission is addressed here by presenting some alternatives for optimizing the power transfer capacity of existing Overhead Line Systems (OHL). Some results from a hypothetical case study of a British lattice tower OHL system under re-conductoring and implementation of new composite cross-arm technology are presented. Analysis involves sag, ampacity, and insulation coordination, which suggest that the novel technology allows voltage upgrating. The paper concludes with a unified framework for evaluating the performance and reliability of high-voltage overhead lines under various improvement scenarios.