A technology, many benefits
Power Transmission Company 4 (PTC4) is presently managing and operating the power transmission network in the South and over 33 220-500kV substations. In particular, many substations have applied the technology of station automation system (SAS). With the increasing number of substations and transmission lines, the operation management of substations should be centralized in a center to easily monitor, manage and regulate capacity in transmission network and reduce manipulating errors caused by operation.
In 2017, PTC4 put the Remote control center located at 500kV substation of Tan Dinh and My Tho into operation. With modern technology of data connection allowing real control operation, this 500kV substation can control 10 to 12 220kV satellite substations.
According to the roadmap of the National Power Transmission Corporation and PTC4, the substations eligible for application of remote control model will be deployed in 2 phases, the first one is "semi-manned station" model, starting from 25 November 2017. After 4 months of operation, it will be converted into unmanned station model.
The management of remote monitoring and controlling substation from the control center has overcome the shortcomings of traditional method, gradually helping develop the smart power grid, reduce the number of collaborations in dispatching; shorten the time of maintenance, troubleshooting of substations, etc. As a result, the operational manpower is minimized, contributing to improve labour productivity.
Da Nang Power Company Limited (PC Da Nang) has been currently managing 9 substations, by the end of 2017, 6 of them were operated under unmanned model. The remaining 3 stations will be shifted to the unmanned model right in the quarter 1 of 2018.
As PC Da Nang shall manage the operation of the power grid in the "city of events", ensuring the quality of power supply needs to be paid attention to. Unmanned substations put into operation really create technological “revolution” at the affiliated unit, improving labour productivity and especially helping PC Da Nang improve the reliability of power supply, ensuring safe operation of the power grid. When incidents occur, it is easy to perform equipment manipulation so as to promptly zone as well as re-supply power. Therefore, PC Da Nang proactively accelerated the progress of construction, shifting to unmanned substations and will "get to the destination" 2 years ahead of the plan required by EVN Group.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh - Deputy General Director of Central Power Corporation (EVNCPC) said that by the end of 2017, the Corporation had 11 remote control centers with 55 unmanned substations. With complicated and widespread areas in 13 provinces in the Central and Highlands, the operation of remote control centers and the shifting of modern substations really promoted it efficiency, particularly in power re-supply after storms, floods, natural disasters. As before, electrician workers had to spend a lot of time for moving to each substation in remote areas to perform on-site operations but, now, dispatchers can conduct the load shedding or power re-supplying on the grid right from the Control center. As a result, EVNCPC and its units can safely and timely supply power to the people in the areas affected by storms.
Elements are ready
According to the development orientation of EVN's remote control center and unmanned substation, with the goal by 2020 that 100% 110kV substations will be of unmanned stations and the number of operators at 220kV and 500kV substations will be reduced, helping the Group to improve labour productivity, increase the reliability of power supply and ensure the safe operation of power grid as well. The Group’s units are also “accelerating” to achieve this goal.
Dispatchers performing equipment operation from Remote control center
In 2017, regional Load Dispatch Centers implemented the remote control for 18 220kV substations of EVNNPT, power corporations put 43 remote control centers into operation and implemented the remote control for 386 110kV unmanned and semi-manned substations (accounting for 57.6% of total number of 110kV stations).
To achieve this result, such units had to overcome many challenges and difficulties. The key factor is mastering the technology, synchronously developing IT infrastructure, ensuring the stable conditions of equipment in long-term operation; completing the connection of SCADA system signal in stable and continuous manner.
EVNCPC proactively developed the operating software for control centers, developing IT infrastructure in line with actual operation of power grid at units. In particular, the construction of the Substation control and conversion center is instructed by the Corporation to implement the work in a "rolling" manner with specific roadmap and schedule. As a result, EVNCPC has overfulfilled the tasked assigned by the Group.
In order to master the modern grid technology, EVN’s units referred to practical experiences from foreign countries, organized the training for title, advanced training for operation engineers and dispatchers, meeting new requirements of the each job. In addition, security for the system is also focused on and properly implemented by units. A representative of the Technical - Production Board of EVN said, to ensure network and national power system security, during the construction and operation, the units had completely isolated the IP network of the control system with the Internet, intranet of the unit; at the same time, set up firewalls for connections to the SCADA system, the control center, as well as strictly executed the Group's regulations on network security.