IEC 61850 has revolutionized electrical substations, enabling more efficient integration of renewable energies and improving system reliability.
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The electrical industry has undergone a radical transformation in recent decades, challenged by the growing demand for energy, the need for greater efficiency and the integration of renewable energy sources. This context creates the conditions for a constant evolution of technologies and systems used in electrical substations.
The past: Proprietary systems and limitations
Before the advent of IEC 61850, electrical substations were characterized by high fragmentation and heavy reliance on proprietary systems. Each equipment manufacturer had its own communication protocols and data formats, which made interoperability between different devices difficult. This situation generated a series of limitations, among which the following stood out:
- High complexity in system integration: Integrating new equipment or expanding an existing substation was a costly and time-consuming process, requiring extensive retrofitting of existing systems.
- Difficulty in managing the life cycle of the equipment: Equipment obsolescence and lack of availability of spare parts made it difficult to upgrade and maintain substations.
- Flexibility limitations: The rigid structure of proprietary systems made it difficult to adapt to new needs and technologies.
IEC 61850: A unifying standard
Given this scenario, the need arose for an international standard that would allow open and efficient communication between the different devices in a substation. The IEC 61850 standard, published at the end of the 20th century, became the worldwide benchmark for electrical substation automation.
This standard defines a set of communication protocols and a common data model, allowing devices from different manufacturers to interoperate transparently. Thanks to IEC 61850, it is possible:
- Simplify system integration: Implementing new equipment and expanding substations becomes faster and more economical.
- Increase flexibility: Standardization facilitates the adaptation to new technologies and the incorporation of advanced functionalities.
- Improve reliability: Redundancy and fault tolerance are enhanced by interoperability and standardization.
- Reduce operation and maintenance costs: Simplification of systems and ease of management contribute to reducing long-term costs.
Digitization of substations
IEC 61850 has been a key catalyst in the digitization of electrical substations and has laid the groundwork for the implementation of new technologies and applications, such as:
- Advanced protection systems: Facilitates the implementation of faster and more accurate protection schemes, improving the safety and availability of the power system.
- Process automation: Standardization allows the automation of repetitive tasks and the optimization of operational processes.
- Renewable energy integration: Helps the integration of variable renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, by enabling seamless communication between inverters and substation control systems.
- Data analysis: The large amount of data generated by devices in a substation can be analyzed to obtain valuable information about the state of the system and optimize its operation.
- Cybersecurity: The standard has established a framework for communications security, enabling more robust protection measures to be implemented against cyberattacks.
Improved reliability and resilience
IEC 61850 has significantly improved the reliability and resilience of electrical substations by enabling:
- Redundancy in communication systems: The standard allows the configuration of redundant communication systems, using protocols such as PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol) and HSR (High Availability Seamless Redundancy). This ensures that communication remains stable even in the event of failure of any of the links.
- Vendor diversity: By promoting interoperability, it reduces dependence on a single vendor, allowing the use of components from different manufacturers and thus increasing the resilience of the system to possible hardware or software failures.
- Fault detection and isolation: Its communication protocols allow rapid detection and isolation of faults, minimizing the impact on system operation.
- Automatic restoration: The automation of the restoration processes enables a faster and more efficient recovery of service after an outage.
Success Story: UTE and the implementation of IEC 61850 (1)
Uruguayan electric utility UTE is a leading example of the successful implementation of the IEC 61850 standard. In its 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, UTE seeks to modernize its electric power distribution and transmission infrastructure, and part of this involves adopting the IEC 61850 standard. UTE has made significant investments in the modernization of its substations, including the implementation of IEC 61850-compliant equipment and the upgrade of control and protection systems.
This experience shows that the implementation of IEC 61850 can generate significant benefits for electric utilities, both in economic and technical terms. In addition, the adoption of this standard contributes to the sustainability of the electricity system by enabling the integration of renewable energies and improving energy efficiency.
In its December 2019 report, UTE indicates that it has an electricity matrix made up of:
- Wind Energy: Approximately 1,500 MW installed.
- Photovoltaic Solar Energy: Approximately 230 MW.
- Biomass: About 200 MW authorized for the transmission grid.
- Thermal Backup: 530 MW through a Combined Cycle Power Plant.
- Interconnections: New interconnections with Brazil totaling 620 MW (550 MW in Melo-Candiota and 70 MW in Rivera-Livramento).
As of this date, approximately 98% of the energy generated in Uruguay comes from renewable sources.
IEC 61850 training
Last August 15 and 16, we organized from Isbel a workshop on IEC 61850 for UTE, in collaboration with Nokia, where we deepened in the fundamentals of this standard and its relevance in the digitization of electrical substations. The benefits of standardization to ensure interoperability between equipment from different manufacturers, reducing costs and facilitating implementation were highlighted. In addition, key protocols (GOOSE, SV, PTP) and redundancy technologies (PRP, HSR) that enable robust and synchronized real-time communication were explored. Through a practical session with real equipment, the acquired knowledge was consolidated, demonstrating the applicability of the standard in real substation scenarios.
From Isbel, we continue working actively to accompany utilities in the adoption of this technology, offering solutions and services that facilitate the transition to smart and efficient substations.
References:
(1) Current situation, recent developments and prospects of UTE :
By:
Rodrigo Zerpa, Product Line Analyst.
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