Centralised substation lives to see another 20 years

Around ten percent of National Grid’s power transportation network substations in England and Wales will be covered by the upgrade programme, which includes updating software on the same platform as Locamation’s SASensor CPC (Centralised Substation Protection and Control) system – the most widely used CPC product on the market.

Bastian Fischer, Locamation’s CEO said: “This is a massive vote of confidence in Locamation and SASensor - the centralised substation management selected by National Grid to control large parts of its HV transmission grid.”

Fischer added: “As the IEEE has stated, centralisation is the future of substations – and with over 4.5 million hours of running centralised substation management systems under our belts, we have the clearest proof that they perform better than non-centralised systems.

“This upgrade will extend asset life, significantly enhance reliability, future proof functionality for years to come and provide grid data and asset performance insights of the highest accuracy.”

Existing SAS2000 hardware used by National Grid will be updated and refurbished in a series of planned projects, rather than replacing the whole automation system, thus saving time, money and minimising risks. Out-dated modules will be replaced with units that are identical in form, fit and function, but upgraded with state of the art technology to serve the next 20 years.

Russell Clayman, Locamation’s UK Business Development Manager, commented: “Locamation’s centralised substation management systems are easy to upgrade by design, because software and hardware can be updated in separate projects, which ensures maximum control and minimal risk.

Clayman said: “We are delighted to extend our service to National Grid for another 20 years. This really showcases our ability to offer long term support and flexibility, to meet emerging needs.”