Enel Grids is facing significant challenges related to reliability and the efficiency of substation assets.
With the implementation of the new Digital Substation, called SED Casa Grande, to be built in Brazil, Diadema City – State of São Paulo and is planned to be inaugurated in 2026, Enel Grids aims to enhance the reliability and efficiency of substation assets. The substation will be designed to operate at a nominal voltage of 88 kV. The main components include:
· High Voltage (HV) Sector: 3 Hybrid Modules of the Y2 type ( www.eneldistribuicao.com.br/documentos/GSCH002%20r06.pdf ) ;
· Transformators Sector: 3 Transformers of 32/40 MVA at 88-13.8 kV;
· Medium Voltage (MV) Sector: 3 single-busbar switchgears of 13.8 kV, containing 18 feeders, 6 capacitor banks, 3 of 1.2 MVAR and 3 of 2.4 MVAR, 6 general inputs and 3 busbar interconnections interconnecting the buses and switchgears;
· Centralized Protection System with local and remote redundancy through virtualization of protection functionalities, easy configuration, and real-time remote oscillography capture.;
· Merging Units for data acquisition to be installed in the High Voltage Sector, Transformers, the MV feeders and capacitor banks;
· Use of a Concentrator for monitoring substation information (alarms, signaling, and critical asset monitoring) and weather condition monitoring through HMI interfaces and sensor application;
· The communication network will be designed with redundancy using IEC 61850 and DNP3 communication protocol
The object of the challenge is limited to the last four items above described (centralized protection system, merging units, concentrator and communication layer).
In ANNEX 1 and ANNEX 2 are reported schematic and design of the substation.
THE CHALLENGE, SOLUTION REQUIRED FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS
The solver must be able to follow all the steps of the project in which he will be involved:
· Preliminary design;
· final design
· Supply of equipment and facilities
· Execution and commissioning support
The solution MUST have:
Centralized Control Platform:
· The solution needs to integrate operational and diagnostic data into a unified platform, which allows real-time access and facilitates decision making.
· The interface must be intuitive, offering a comprehensive and detailed view of systems and equipment.
· The architecture of the digital substation project must consider:
o Control Center: Location of panels for protection, control, supervision, and measurement systems.
o GPS Antenna: Required for time synchronization and positioning.
o Equipment:
§ HMI (Human-Machine Interface): for operator interaction.
§ UPC (Unified Processing Controllers): to manage substation processes.
§ Centralized Protection: Centralized protection systems for the substation
o Network redundancy and security with distributed devices (PDCs) connected.
o Control and Monitoring Devices: Includes devices that monitor and control substation equipment, such as Merging Units (MU), Intelligent Merging Units (IMU), and sensors applied for data acquisition and real-time monitoring.
- Integration with existing remote SCADA and management systems.
- The substation must have a segregated vertical communication network with a dedicated IP, in addition to the operational SCADA, exclusively for measurement and maintenance. This network should allow access only to monitoring, control, supervision, and measurement information, ensuring data security and integrity.
- The solution must be able to functionally replicate the characteristics of the protection system currently in use.
- The solution must define and adopt an open and interoperable protocol according relevant standards (IEC 61850) at various levels (MUs, IEDs, RTUs ..)
- The solution must include a network management system for monitoring, configuration, and communication security, primarily for the protection and control network.
Compliance with the following standard:
- communication protocols (e.g., IEC 61850, DNP3) to ensure interoperability between devices.
- IEC 60255 series, Measuring relays and protection equipment
- IEC 61850 series, Communication protocols for IED at electrical substation
- IEC 60297-3-101 Mechanical structures for electronic equipment
- IEC 60529 Classification of degrees of protection provided by enclosures for electrical equipment
- IEC 60204-1 Safety of machinery - Electrical equipment of machines - Part 1: General requirements
- IEC 61000 series Electromagnetic compatibility
- IEC 60664-1 Insulation coordination for equipment within low-voltage systems - Part 1: Principles, requirements and tests
- IEC 61810-1 Electromechanical elementary relays - Part 1: General and safety requirements
- IEC 62749 Assessment of power quality – characteristics of electricity supplied by public networks
- IEC 62262 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures for electrical equipment against external mechanical impacts (IK code)
- IEC 60050-192 International electrotechnical vocabulary – Part 192: Dependability
- IEC 60068 series Environmental testing
- IEC 61010-1,Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use – Part 1: General requirements
- IEC 62439-3, Industrial communication networks - High availability automation networks - Part 3: Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) and High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR)
- IEEE C37.2, IEEE Standard Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers and Contact Designations
- IEEE C37.104, IEEE Guide for Automatic Reclosing of Circuit Breakers for AC Distribution and Transmission Lines
- IEEE 802.3 ,Physical layer and data link layer’s media access control of wired Ethernet
- IEEE 802.1q ,System of VLAN tagging for Ethernet frames
- IEEE 1588 ,IEEE Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems
- RFC3164 BSD syslog Protocol
- RFC 3195, Reliable Delivery for syslog
- GSDTP101 - MV Bays Multifunction Protection Relay.
· The insulation properties must be compliant with the standards on electrical safety:
o IEC 60255-26 Measuring relays and protection equipment - Part 26: Electromagnetic compatibility requirements
o IEC 60255-27 Measuring relays and protection equipment - Part 27: Product safety requirements
o IEC 60204-1 Safety of machinery - Electrical equipment of machines - Part 1: General requirements
o IEC 61000-4-5 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-5: Testing and measurement techniques - Surge immunity test
o IEC 60529 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)
o IEC 60664-1 Insulation coordination for equipment within low-voltage systems - Part 1: Principles, requirements and tests
o IEC 61810-1 Electromechanical elementary relays - Part 1: General and safety requirements
o IEEE C37.2, IEEE Standard Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers and Contact Designations
o Technical requirements aligned with vPac Alliance https://vpacalliance.com/data/files/virtualprotectionrelaywp-v051222-3.pdf
· The solution may be scalable and adaptable to new technologies and operational requirements.
· The solution must be compliant with cybersecurity standard guidelines: Enel detailed requirements will be shared after the awarding of the challenge.
NICE TO HAVE
· The solution may be capable of performing continuous self-diagnosis of critical equipment variables, using intelligent sensors and automated data analysis.
· It may include systems capable of identifying operational patterns and abnormal conditions, generating diagnoses and notifications quickly and accurately.
· May incorporate artificial intelligence to analyze historical data and predict future equipment behavior.
· The tool should suggest personalized maintenance actions, based on the current state of assets and detected trends.
· The solution may reduce the need for direct human interventions in critical processes, minimizing the risk of errors or operational failures.
· The level of automation may be adjustable according to operational needs.
· It may allow periodic functional tests to be carried out on protection and contingency systems, preferably in an automated manner.
· The system may offer flexibility for scheduled or on-demand tests, ensuring constant validation of functionality.
· It may include continuous learning mechanisms that improve its diagnostic and response capacity over time.
· The solution may be capable of including a weather station for real-time climate monitoring, supporting substation operation and safety
MUST HAVE DELIVERABLES
Proposals shall be submitted to the platform openinnovability.com in a single stage and shall include a document with the following sections:
· Solution detailed description:
- Preliminary design;
- final design
- Supply of equipment and facilities
- Execution and commissioning support
· Detailed GANTT for the installation in the specific scenario taking in consideration a COMMISSIONING DEADLINE: 12/2026
· Budget Estimation for Proposal development
· Cost analysis indicating target price of commercial solution
· Benefits analysis considering: construction costs, commissioning and O&M costs with respect the standard solution
All documents must be submitted in both English and Portuguese.
The proposer must run the project under compliance with the rules of Brazilian ANEEL R&D program. The solution will have to be implemented in collaboration with the main constructor of the civil installation and power equipment of the mentioned substation. The communication protocol shall be defined and adopted in collaboration with Enel aiming at establishing an interoperable standard.
Applicants must have a registered company in Brazil.
A manufacturing or assembly plant in Brazil is preferred and will be considered a plus in the final evaluation.
Having experience in the development and implementation of similar projects in energy distribution companies in Brazil and other countries constitutes a competitive advantage in the process.
WEBINAR
SAVE THE DATE! Join us for the workshop dedicated to this challenge!
· A challenge introduction workshop with a technical deep dive for more detailed and narrow questions will take place on 15 April 2025 in Rome, at Villa Lazzaroni.
You will have the chance to hear from the Challenge Owner about the challenge details and to ask questions directly to the Enel Grids team: don’t miss the opportunity to perfect your solution and meet the solution requirements.
