National grid electricity transmission system protection transition to IEC 61850: challenges and opportunities

Traditional protection and control systems in electricity transmission substations have relied on direct hard-wired connection between devices, however advancement in technology has made it possible to reduce such direct point-to-point connectivity and instead use network communication protocols. Digital, IEC 61850 enabled substation systems can be fully implemented at station and process bus level, which would arguably reduce cost and increase overall efficiency for installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance. Such complete integration needs careful management to ensure continued reliability of critical systems. National Grid Electricity Transmission Plc has been conservatively playing its role in enabling digital substation solutions for some years. This paper discusses the evolution of various aspects of digital substation technology within transmission networks, presents progression within communication protocols, and highlights some of the milestone projects. It also presents some of the challenges and opportunities that the company is faced with in the digital substation context.