TSO-DSO Coordination Using OperatorFabric – Sascha Eschmann, RTE international
Event Recap: LF Energy Summit Europe 2025
TL;DR
At LF Energy Summit Europe 2025, Sascha Eschmann of RTE international presented how OperatorFabric can support coordination between transmission system operators and distribution system operators. The session introduced OperatorFabric as an open source communication platform for operational processes, then demonstrated how it can help operators share messages, coordinate actions, and support TSO-DSO workflows in crisis and pre-crisis situations.
Why Operator Coordination Needs Better Communication Tools
Eschmann opened by introducing RTE international, a subsidiary of the French transmission system operator RTE. He described the organization as a consultancy and engineering company that delivers expertise across engineering, HVDC studies, asset management, network studies, and digital solutions.
The presentation focused on RTE international’s digital solutions work, including the delivery of IT solutions and services to other TSOs and related entities. Eschmann noted that this work has been based on open source products for more than five years, following the broader open source journey at RTE.
He framed OperatorFabric around a practical operational challenge: operators often need to manage several processes, communication channels, and recipients at the same time. Phone calls can be efficient, but may lack traceability. Emails provide more traceability, but can make it harder to control how information is distributed.
OperatorFabric is designed to simplify these workflows by providing a communication platform that can monitor and supervise different operational and business processes in one place.
Using OperatorFabric as a Shared Operational Platform
Eschmann described OperatorFabric as an application that can cover different processes and services while giving organizations control over their deployment environment. Because the platform can be installed within an organization’s own environment, users can define security requirements, confidentiality levels, and operational constraints according to their needs.
The platform is also designed to reduce the number of screens and applications operators need to manage. Instead of relying on separate tools for each process, OperatorFabric can provide a common interface where messages and cards are organized in a shared feed.
A key point in the presentation was that OperatorFabric messages are addressed to groups or entities, rather than only to individual users. Eschmann explained that this matters because operational processes should not depend on a single person being available. If a message is directed to an entity, the process can continue even when one specific operator is unavailable.
During the live demo, Eschmann showed the core OperatorFabric interface, including the card feed, timeline, user settings, and card creation features. He demonstrated how users can create messages, ask questions, distribute information, and track responses from relevant entities.
Demonstrating TSO-DSO Coordination Use Cases
The session then moved from the standard OperatorFabric demo to a TSO-DSO coordination use case developed through the European R2D2 project. Eschmann explained that the project focuses on resilience and defense of the grid, with OperatorFabric used to support alignment between TSOs and DSOs during crisis or pre-crisis situations.
The demo showed how customized templates can be created for specific operational use cases. These templates allow users to generate preformatted messages, fill in required fields, and trigger coordination processes between entities.
One example focused on sharing files for TSO-DSO planning and resilience. In that workflow, a user can attach a model file, trigger a task for another entity, and support the exchange of information needed for network model aggregation or merging in another application.
Eschmann also described another use case under development at RTE involving multi-year outage coordination. While the prototype was not ready to demonstrate, he said the goal is to use OperatorFabric as a common place for coordinating internal outage processes and involving the main DSO in France.
Starting Simple and Building Toward Operational Use
Throughout the session, Eschmann emphasized that operational coordination does not always require complicated tools or concepts. The main message was that establishing a common platform can itself be a major first step.
He noted that engineers often try to solve problems with complex approaches, but practical progress can come from starting with simple features that work. In the R2D2 project and in RTE’s ongoing work, defining a shared platform for communication was presented as an important foundation for broader coordination.
During the Q&A, Eschmann clarified that OperatorFabric can support both manually created messages and automated messages generated by other applications. In some production contexts, manual card creation is disabled, and all messages come from external applications connected to OperatorFabric.
He also explained that the core OperatorFabric framework is separate from customized implementations such as “Let’s Coordinate,” which was developed for the R2D2 project. Some custom features may be merged back into OperatorFabric over time, but the project-specific version remains distinct.
Security, APIs, and Operator Feedback
The Q&A also addressed cybersecurity and integration. Eschmann explained that cybersecurity requirements depend on the customer, the data being shared, and the environment where the platform is deployed. Because OperatorFabric can be installed in an environment controlled by the user organization, operators can manage where data is stored and how it is protected.
He also noted that OperatorFabric has undergone security audit processes, including one completed earlier in the year. Eschmann added that production versions delivered to customers often include practices such as threat modeling and weekly code scanning to identify vulnerabilities in the application or its libraries.
On integration, Eschmann said OperatorFabric can exchange messages with other applications through standard technologies and includes a mail-out service that can trigger email notifications when configured to do so.
The discussion closed with questions about user interface design and operator feedback. Eschmann explained that the project initially reflected RTE’s user interface needs, but production deployments incorporate customer-specific requirements. Much of the customization work focuses on message content, views, sorting, and how information is displayed for operators.
About LF Energy
LF Energy is an open source foundation within the Linux Foundation focused on advancing collaboration in digital energy infrastructure.
Learn more: https://lfenergy.org
Last updated: June 11, 2026
AI Disclosure
This post used artificial intelligence tools for research, structural assistance, or grammatical refinement. The final content was reviewed, edited, and validated by human contributors to LF Energy to ensure accuracy and alignment with our community standards. We remain committed to transparency in the use of generative technologies within the open source ecosystem.
