Turku Energia – planning for the longest quarter

When the people at Turku Energia talk about quarters, they’re referring to a quarter of a century. Such timeframes are common in energy utilities. That calls for exceptional planning, excellent reliability and long-term compatibility with past and future equipment.

"Working with Eltel Networks brings a lot of benefits. Our network now offers fully-redundant and secure communications based on Nokia Siemens Networks’ Dynanet solution. This is critical to our mission of keeping the city supplied with electricity. We feel confident about relying on their expertise in handling both the day-to-day maintenance and forward planning of our network."

Markku Laaksonen
System Manager,
Turku Energia


The 15 year co-operation between Turku Energia and Eltel Networks Finland is based on understanding the “longest quarter”. For energy utilities, equipment investments are heavy and upgrading the whole network is simply not feasible.

Reliability and redundancy requirements are also strict. Electricity is part of the city infrastructure and breaks in service can cause immediate and real trouble. A break could leave nearly 200.000 people without internet and TV, not to mention heat and light. 

 

Challenges

  • Ensuring reliable, fully-redundant communications and operational control at all times
  • Upgrading the network while keeping backwards compatibility with power equipment up to 50 years old
  • The long timeframe and financial constraints in upgrading the network

Electricity must flow at all times
For electricity to flow, first information must flow. Operational control and management relies on communications technology. And electricity generation and transmission relies on that.

Protecting the grid, and the private property and real estate connected to it, means that cut-off times must be the fastest possible. The speed available from IP-based solutions is still too slow. That’s why the electricity relays operate on more traditional switching technology.

Solutions

  • Nokia Siemens Networks Dynanet family provides redundant and future-proof communications
  • Closed, all fiber optic communications network, safe from service breaks above streets / above ground
  • Leveraging Eltel Networks’ proven skills in long-term planning and quality execution
  • The existing core network was migrated to an all-IP, Rel4 system
The second unique aspect is that because electricity is such a vital part of city infrastructure it precludes using anything but a closed communications system.

While ultra-secure communications over IP networks are an everyday solution, the need to keep the city running smoothly necessitated a closed communications network that is physically separated from commercial networks.

Planning for security
In the early 90s, with demands for high-capacity transfer of information and operational data intensifying, Turku Energia wanted to find a comprehensive solution. One that would answer the needs of today and tomorrow – including the future demands of Smart Grids.

 

Benefits

  • Ability for both parties to focus on their core competencies
  • Utmost reliability in communications mean fewer and shorter breaks in electricity production and delivery
  • Financial stability through pre-planned upgrades and overhauls of the network
After the initial planning phase, the pace has been rapid, with one substation a year being built or fully overhauled. What was planned 15 years ago still holds true today – Eltel Networks recommended using fiber optics throughout the whole network. And Nokia Siemens Networks’ Dynanet family was chosen as the base on which to build and expand.

A secondary control station was erected as a contingency measure for disaster recovery and other exceptional circumstanses. The site itself has been part of the grid for more than 30 years, however the operational control and communication system was only recently installed there in order to satisfy strict redundancy requirements.

“Running a second control site has proved to be more cost-efficient than keeping it in ‘hot stand-by’ mode”, continues Mr. Laaksonen of Turku Energia.

Co-operation brings long-term benefits
Making sure communication flows smoothly and continuously is Eltel Networks’ philosophy and way of providing services to network owners. Their employees core competences are to handle oversight, man and control the field service teams. Close co-operation offers Turku Energia remarkable cost-savings and allows them to focus on their own core business.

Eltel Networks’ specialists also plan and execute the station communication system upgrades. Together with Turku Energia, they chose to use optical fiber composite overhead ground wire (OPGW) and put fiberoptics inside lightning-rod-cabling – as an integral part of the grid-lines. Thus for almost the entire grid, both electricity and operational control information flows safely above the streets, protected for example from the danger of accidental damage caused by construction work. “The bulldozer or excavator is one of the toughest things an electricity network can encounter. Digging in the wrong place is common”, confirms Mr. Laaksonen.

Dynanet for easy maintenance and superior backwards-compatibility
Dynanet equipment is installed in each station and substation enabling powerful communications with superior ease of maintenance and unmatched backwards compatibility - even with power equipment dating back half a century. In addition, Ethernet funtionality can be added easily at a later date, future proofing Turku Energia’s investment.