Hitachi Energy control upgrade improves grid reliability in Argentina

Edelar S.A. is a power company that operates the entire electrical distribution system in the northwestern Argentine province of La Rioja. Edelar delivers electricity to its 95,000 customers over a network of high, medium and low-voltage power lines, and monitors the substations in this grid with two different supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.

A Hitachi Energy MicroSCADA system delivers data from the capital, La Rioja City, while substations in rest of the province use remote terminal units (RTUs) from GE. Edelar wanted to integrate data collected across the entire network into one SCADA system in order to improve network reliability, and turned to Hitachi Energy for a solution that includes full integration services, products and training.

With a new SCADA from Hitachi Energy, Edelar will be able to monitor its entire distribution network with one system, and can also implement IEC 61850 substation communication solutions and integrate them into the same system. (The IEC 61850 standard defines the Ethernet technology for substation automation communication, including protection and control functions. It enables intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) from different manufacturers to “talk with each other” and thus operate with each other.)

By collecting substation information in a single SCADA platform, EDELAR will also be able to increase its current remote control capability by integrating new substations into the new SCADA system.