This workshop gives grid operators and energy system planners a structured assessment of quantum optimisation algorithms for unit commitment, economic dispatch, optimal power flow, and network reconfiguration.
For grid operators, energy system planners, and dispatch engineers. Covers QAOA, VQE, and quantum annealing for unit commitment, economic dispatch, optimal power flow, and network reconfiguration. Includes D-Wave versus gate-based comparison, benchmark-specific performance evidence on IEEE test cases, and honest NISQ hardware assessment.
Power grid management is dominated by combinatorial optimisation problems that grow exponentially with network size. Security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) for a large utility can involve thousands of binary decision variables and nonlinear AC power flow constraints. Classical solvers (CPLEX, Gurobi, PowerWorld) handle these through mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) with relaxations, but solution times increase sharply as renewable penetration introduces stochastic variability. Quantum optimisation offers a structurally different approach: QAOA and quantum annealing encode these combinatorial problems as Ising models or QUBO formulations, exploring solution spaces through quantum superposition and tunnelling. Published results on IEEE bus test cases (14-bus to 118-bus) show that D-Wave and QAOA implementations can find feasible solutions to simplified dispatch problems, though solution quality and scaling remain active research areas. This workshop maps those boundaries for your specific grid topology and operational constraints.
Full-day session structure with scheduled breaks. Content is configurable to your grid topology, generation mix, market structure, and operational constraints.
| # | Session | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Optimisation and Where It Breaks Down Computational limits of MILP, SCUC, and heuristic solvers for grid-scale problems | |
| 2 | Quantum Optimisation for Power Systems QAOA, VQE, and quantum annealing applied to grid management problems |
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| Break, after 50 min | ||
| 3 | Real-Time Grid Balancing Under Renewable Intermittency Quantum approaches to dynamic dispatch and demand response |
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| 4 | Interactive Demonstration: Grid Optimisation Pipeline Full-day format only |
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| Break, after 60 min | ||
| 5 | Hardware Assessment and Honest Performance Boundaries What works now, what does not, and the 2026-2030 horizon |
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| 6 | Vendor Landscape and Pilot Design Structuring a quantum optimisation proof-of-concept for your grid |
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| 7 | Q&A and Pilot Planning | |
Workshops are designed and delivered by QSECDEF in collaboration with sector specialists. All facilitators have direct experience in both quantum technologies and power & energy systems.
Workshop design and delivery
QSECDEF brings world-leading expertise in post-quantum cryptography, quantum computing strategy, and defence-grade security assessment. Our advisory membership spans 600+ organisations and 1,200+ professionals working at the intersection of quantum technologies and critical infrastructure security.
Domain expertise and operational validation
Power & Energy workshops are co-delivered with sector specialists who bring direct operational experience in power & energy organisations. This ensures workshop content is grounded in regulatory, operational, and technical realities specific to the sector.
Sessions are configured around your grid topology, generation mix, market structure, and dispatch operational constraints. Get in touch to discuss requirements and schedule a date.
Contact UsQuantum technologies are evolving quickly and new developments emerge regularly. This page was last updated on 15/03/2026. For the most current information about course content and suitability for your organisation, we recommend contacting us directly.
