Dr Waqquas Bukhsh
Senior Lecturer
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Personal statement
I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. I study how to plan and operate energy systems efficiently, in particular electricity systems. My research is highly multidisciplinary, drawing on electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science to develop tools that support better decision-making.
I work closely with industry partners such as the National Energy System Operator (NESO), SSE, RES, and Gurobi to turn research into practical solutions for system operation, planning, and market design. I developed OATS, an open-source simulation tool, and led the creation of the Bulk Dispatch Optimiser (BDO), now used by NESO’s Electricity National Control Centre, saving consumers an estimated £15 million each year. I also led the development of planning tools for Pakistan’s electricity system operator NTDC, supported by the World Bank.
Before joining Strathclyde, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Technical University of Denmark and a visiting lecturer at the University of Copenhagen. I hold a PhD in Operational Research from the University of Edinburgh.
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Senior Member of IEEE, and a Carpentries Instructor. I am passionate about turning research into real-world impact.
Qualifications
- PhD in Operations Research and Optimization, The University of Edinburgh, 2014.
- BS in Mathematics, COMSATS University, 2008
Publications
- A data-driven analysis of Britain’s balancing mechanism
- Hodges Sam, Bukhsh Waqquas
- IEEE Access (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3714696
- Physics-shielded deep reinforcement learning for adaptive emergency frequency control
- Brown Alinane, Bukhsh Waqquas, Papadopoulos Panagiotis
- IEEE Transactions on Power Systems (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2026.3706436
- Net-zero pathways and the future of GB electricity transmission networks
- Cao Shengming, Bukhsh Waqquas, He Runsheng
- 2025 9th International Conference on Environment Friendly Energies and Applications (EFEA) 9th International Conference on Environment Friendly Energies and Applications (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1109/EFEA67685.2025.11386142
- An ACDC Security-Constrained Optimal Power Flow for Great Britain HVDC Integration
- Hodges Sam, Bukhsh Waqquas, Bell Keith, Grothey Andreas, McKinnon Ken, Tian Shangen
- IEEE PES ISGT Europe 2025 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe 2025 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1109/ISGTEurope64741.2025.11305365
- Counterfactual explanations for power system optimisation
- Fritz Benjamin, Bukhsh Waqquas
- (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2512.04833
- Stochastic transmission expansion planning for the GB grid : modeling future energy scenarios and budget constraints
- Cao Shengming, He Runsheng, Bukhsh Waqquas
- 2025 10th IEEE Workshop on the Electronic Grid (eGRID) 10th IEEE Workshop on the Electronic Grid 2025 10th IEEE Workshop on the Electronic Grid (eGRID) (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1109/eGRID63452.2025.11255264
Teaching
- EE313/EM301: Engineering Analysis
- EE994: Energy Storage Systems
- EM270: Programming Design
- EE707: Managing Risk and Uncertainty in Grid Operation
Research Interests
Waqquas's research interests lie in the areas of optimisation, networks, algorithm design and analysis, and applications of optimisation to electricty networks.
Professional Activities
- Optimising real-time decisions in a changing electricity system
- Speaker
- 19/5/2025
- Achieving a carbon-free grid: why optimisation must lead the way
- Speaker
- 4/11/2024
- Tough going: Pakistan's LNG imports recover but long-term supply hurdles persist
- Recipient
- 3/5/2024
- Transforming electricity balancing: bulk dispatch optimisation, from proof-of-concept to implementation
- Speaker
- 12/3/2024
- TechXplore - Innovative electricity system balancing tool helps keep Britain's lights on
- Recipient
- 6/3/2024
- Energy Magazine - Innovative electricity system balancing tool helps keep Britain’s lights on
- Recipient
- 6/3/2024
Projects
- Development of the Centre for Advanced Power related Innovation, Science and Continuing Opportunity (CAPISCO)
- Bell, Keith (Principal Investigator) Bukhsh, Waqquas (Co-investigator) Hawker, Graeme (Co-investigator) Hong, Qiteng (Co-investigator) Stephen, Bruce (Co-investigator)
- 09-Jan-2026 - 08-Jan-2026
- Renewable Energy Systems (RES) - Innovation Centre Project - Grid Constraints
- Bukhsh, Waqquas (Principal Investigator) Stephen, Bruce (Co-investigator)
- 17-Jan-2024 - 25-Jan-2024
- AC-DC Power Flow Modelling for Optimal Utilisation of Scottish Renewable Generation ETP's Energy Industry Doctorate Programme (Sam Hodges)
- Bukhsh, Waqquas (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jan-2027
- Assessing the Potential for Hydrogen to Reduce Curtailment of Renewable Electricity in Scotland
- Hawker, Graeme (Principal Investigator) Bukhsh, Waqquas (Co-investigator)
- 18-Jan-2021 - 14-Jan-2022
- OATS Training Course for National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) Pakistan
- Bukhsh, Waqquas (Principal Investigator)
- A day-long training workshop for the control engineers of the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) of Pakistan. The workshop provides hands-on experience of solving power flow and optimal power flow problems using Strathclyde's power systems simulation tool OATS.
- 21-Jan-2021 - 21-Jan-2021
- Rethinking the Design of Great Britain’s Capacity Market
- Bukhsh, Waqquas (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2021 - 31-Jan-2021
Contact
Dr
Waqquas
Bukhsh
Senior Lecturer
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Email: waqquas.bukhsh@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 7233