Identifying and Modelling Critical Infrastructure Network Interdependencies

Critical infrastructures (e.g. energy, water, transportation and communication) are highly interconnected and mutually dependent in several complex ways. Identifying, analysing and understanding such interdependencies are significant challenges, which are magnified by the growing size and complexity of modern critical infrastructures (CIs). Given the increasing electrification of modern societies, it is hugely important to understand and quantify the interdependencies between power networks and other CIs in order to ensure their reliable and resilient operation in normal conditions, but more importantly in the face of unforeseen and unpredictable critical threats such as extreme weather events or cyber attacks. Within this context this project will develop a quantitative understanding of the interaction mechanisms between power networks and other CIs. This will be achieved through the integrated modelling of co-dependent networks, complemented by uncertainty analysis to account for possible future changes in their operation and architecture. A particular focus will be quantifying the circular dependencies between Cis following severe threats (e.g. extreme weather and natural disasters). Such dependencies can significantly compromise the resilience of CIs leading to cascading impacts among different networks. For example, interruptions in the fuel and transportation systems can affect the electrical power generation, which could in turn result in electricity shortfalls which can be catastrophic for other CIs. Once an in-depth understanding of these interaction and cascading mechanisms is obtained, mitigation and adaptation strategies can be developed for designing resilient CIs that are less prone to disturbances in co-dependent networks. Due to the large scale of this research topic, this project will focus on interactions centred around the electrical power network.