Remote control centers with modern technology at Phu Tho Power Company. Photo: NPC

Increasing efficiency, improving reliability of power supply through automation

Phu Tho is a province located in a strategic position in the midland and mountainous region of northern Vietnam, serving as a gateway to the capital, Hanoi. It has an extensive power system comprising sixty-seven 110kV transmission lines with a total length of nearly 917km, along with forty-five 110kV substations with a total capacity of 3,945MVA.

Phu Tho Power Company currently manages more than 7,500km of medium-voltage lines, over 13,000km of low-voltage lines, and nearly one million electronic meters, 98% of which are connected to remote measurement.

In particular, all 39/39 110kV substations in Phu Tho province have been converted to the unmanned substation model. All control, monitoring, and switching operations for the equipment are carried out centrally at the Remote Control Center via the SCADA SP5 system.

Phu Tho Power Company's staff and employees strengthening inspection and maintenance of power grid. Photo: NPC

One of the outstanding applications of Phu Tho Power Company is the remote connection and control of equipment on the power grid. Currently, 93.5% of Reclosers, 91% of LBSs, and nearly 12% of RMU cabinets have been connected to the control center. At the same time, 35% of the medium-voltage bays have been integrated into the DMS/DAS automation system. It helps to optimize the detection, localization, and handling of incidents.

At the same time, the GIS–PMIS system has been widely deployed, enabling the management of spatial data and technical information across the entire grid. This application not only enables quick access to equipment location and status information but also enhances the efficiency of maintenance, investment, and asset management - moving toward the goal of a ‘smart grid and smart management’ system.

Another highlight is the online closing of the medium-voltage grid loop, which enables changing the power supply configuration without interrupting service to customers, thereby significantly reducing the SAIDI and SAIFI indices - the key measures of power supply reliability.

Since 2018, Phu Tho Power Company has proactively implemented hotline repair, which is live-line maintenance technology. By 2025, Phu Tho Power Company will have completely mastered this technology on both 22kV and 35kV grids. As a result, maintenance and troubleshooting activities can be carried out flexibly, ensuring a stable electricity supply without affecting production or people’s daily lives.

In addition, the remote measurement data collection system has been installed at more than 965,000 meters, achieving a successful data collection rate of 95-99.8%. This lays a solid foundation for digital transformation in the power sector, improving labor productivity and reducing meter reading errors.

Modern equipment - extended arm of Electrical Engineer

Phu Tho Power Company has also continuously invested in and put into operation various high-tech equipment, such as the PD Online UltraTEV Plus² analyzer, thermal imaging cameras, and partial discharge measuring devices, helping to detect early hot spots, electrical discharges, and potential damage. In addition, there are other equipment such as underground cable fault detector and small current clamp meter to help diagnose quickly and accurately the status of the equipment without cutting off the power, UAV (drones) are used to inspect the power grid in mountainous areas, rivers and streams - where people are difficult to access - to help promptly detect problems, store GPS data for long-term management and analysis.

Phu Tho Power Company staff and employees applying UAV in grid inspection work. Photo NPC

Not only stopping at applying available technology, the engineering team of Phu Tho Power Company has also implemented many typical initiatives such as the Low Voltage Capacitor Bank Operation Monitoring System to optimize control and improve power factor; Warning of distribution transformer operation status based on automatic data; Applying AI to build a provincial power grid diagram on the satellite map; Researching tools to control and monitor reactive power in the entire system, etc.

Translator: Thanh Hải