Due to the Energy Transition, the use of power transmission and distribution grids is changing. The control architecture of power grids needs to be swiftly adapted to take account of infeed at lower grid levels, higher dynamics in flow patterns, and more distributed controls (both internal controls and grid flexibility services from third parties). In this context, TSOs and DSOs require a new generation of Digital Substation Automation Systems (DSAS) that could provide more complex, dynamic, and adaptative automation functions at grid nodes and edge, as well as enhanced orchestration from central systems, in both flexible and scalable manner. Virtualization is seen as a key innovation in order to fulfill these needs.

SEAPATH, Software Enabled Automation Platform and Artifacts (THerein), aims at developing a “reference design” and “industrial grade” open source real-time platform that can run virtualized automation and protection applications (for the power grid industry in the first place and potentially beyond). This platform is intended to host multi-provider applications.

Project Scope

The project encompasses the following activities:

• Specifying the requirements to be fulfilled by the reference platform
• Specifying the test procedures needed to assess the fulfillment of the requirements
• Building the appropriate system(s) architecture(s) for the software platform and specifying requirements for hardware architecture
• Developing code for the specific functions and services to be delivered by the platform
• Defining and implementing APIs to external applications
• Performing the integration of the software platform
• Testing the fulfillment of the requirements after the implementation, as a proof-of-concept, of a realistic protection and automation system on top of the integrated software platform
• Defining guidelines and best practices to integrate, test (including interoperability tests) deploy, and maintain the applications on such platform