Description
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to obtain structured input from the market regarding the functional, technical, commercial, and non-functional capabilities required to support a future cable thermal rating and specialist calculation platform for National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET).
NGET is seeking to understand the availability, maturity, and suitability of solutions that can support the replacement, enhancement, or evolution of existing in-house engineering capabilities, including:
• RoCiT - tunnel cable thermal modelling
• DRY - direct burial dry-out and effective backfill diameter calculation
• THORIN - effective backfill modelling for solid-filled troughs and non-standard geometries
• RAUROS - thermal modelling of water-cooled cable systems
In addition, NGET is interested in understanding broader rating enhancement capabilities and specialist calculation tools that improve modelling accuracy in complex installation environments.
Through this RFI, NGET aims to gather insight into:
• Supplier capability, domain expertise, and relevant experience in cable thermal modelling
• Product maturity, technical readiness, and proven use in comparable utility environments
• Commercial models, including licensing approaches, modular pricing (including specialist calculators), total cost of ownership, and flexibility to scale
• Architectural approaches, integration patterns, and deployment models appropriate for a Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) environment
• Security, scalability, and compliance considerations
• Implementation methodologies, delivery approaches, and associated risks
• Availability of integrated or modular solutions, including core rating engines and supporting calculators
This RFI will inform NGET's future sourcing strategy and solution design, including the potential adoption of product- based, configurable, bespoke, or hybrid approaches, as well as appropriate commercial and contracting structures.
The objective is to identify solutions that can deliver engineering-grade, transparent, auditable, and reproducible calculations, while supporting long-term maintainability, extensibility, and alignment with evolving operational, regulatory, and commercial requirements.