rte, france - Smart Grids

Case study • Power utility
RTE, FRANCE
ENHANCING SECURITY F O R HI GH-V O LTAGE P O W E R T R ANS MI S S I O N
RTE, responsible for France’s high-voltage transmission grid, needed to build a telecom
network to enhance the protection, control and supervision of its high-voltage transmission
network. Alcatel-Lucent delivered a turnkey, multi-service, high-speed infrastructure,
enabling RTE to maintain the highest level of operational excellence.
RTE’s Perspective
CHALLENGES
ABOUT RTE
In 2003, several serious incidents occurred on the teleprotection and telecontrol
system. The root cause analysis concluded that they were communication–related,
pushing RTE to:
Build its own private telecom network launching the ROSE (Réseau Optique
de Securité) project: a secure optical network for high-voltage transmission line
security.
Strengthen network protection and reliability: RTE needed to secure its
electrical transmission network with reliable, fast communication links used by
its line differential transmission protection systems, to compare current input/
output in real time.
RTE is responsible for the high-voltage and
power transmission grid in France. The
company, a subsidiary of the EDF Group,
is independently managed to guarantee
system access to all customers.
RTE’s network includes 100,000 km
of power lines, 250,000 transmission towers
and over 2,400 customer delivery points.
Increase operational efficiency through better control of the grid: A secure,
reliable data communications infrastructure was needed to monitor the network
configuration, using a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) application.
Leverage existing investments: Utilizing its excess fiber-optic capacity, RTE
wanted to resell dark fiber to telecom operators and local authorities through
its subsidiary @rteria, to deliver broadband services to low density, remote areas.
In 2004, RTE selected Alcatel-Lucent to launch the multi-phase project, in which
a fiber-optic communications network is laid over high-voltage lines to provide
global coverage for the transmission network.
SOLUTION
Alcatel-Lucent has the turnkey responsibility to deploy a Mission-Critical WAN
Infrastructure consisting of 34 interconnected rings through more than 300 sites in
France: 1 federating ring connecting the National Dispatching Centers, 7 national
rings at 2,5Gb and 26 regional rings at 600Mb, on RTE’s high-voltage network. This
includes engineering, supply, installation and commissioning, carried out by a
dedicated project management team to ensure project delivery is on time and on
budget.
Passive network: 8,000 km (out of 12,000 km) of fiber optic cables: OPGW,
OPPC or wrapped around high-voltage lines.
Active network: Fiber activation with the supply of 750 Alcatel-Lucent Optical
Multi-Service Node (OMSN) and 80 Alcatel-Lucent 1696 Metrospan wavelength
division multiplexing (C&DWDM) equipment, installation & commissioning.
Maintenance & Operations services: such as passive and active network level 3
maintenance over 15 years for the whole network, as well as the development
of a Network Operations Center (NOC) and agents training.
BENEFITS
Moving to a full private network, RTE benefits from the market evolution where
the Mission Critical WAN Infrastructure meets the high-performance requirements
of teleprotection, and telecontrol while keeping the expenses under full control.
Leveraging this new telecom network, RTE is extending its reputation for operational
excellence with key initiatives:
Right on time, @rteria (RTE subsidiary) delivered a turnkey fiber-optic network
to several French regional authorities, narrowing the digital divide by offering
broadband services where DSL is unavailable.
Improved energy network stability and reliability thanks to a direct supervision
of the network through the dedicated Network Operations Center.
Fully trained RTE personnel due to Alcatel-Lucent’s tailor-made training program
and the transfer of their telecom expertise supported by high-level maintenance
services.
2 Alcatel-Lucent
Case study
RTE
"In our high-voltage, high-stakes
project, Alcatel-Lucent worked closely
with our teams, showed great flexibility
and initiative, and understood that
our operating constraints must prevail
at all times."
Gérard Pellerin, Operations and Control
Director of RTE.
Alcatel-Lucent’s Perspective
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
RTE was seeking the turnkey delivery of a highly reliable
telecom network to enhance the protection, control and
supervision of its power transmission network. The company
particularly required a trusted partner with a proven record
in rolling out complex and demanding telecom infrastructure
projects.
OUR METHODOLOGY
ROSE began with a life-size pilot project (ROSE 1), involving
500 km in Brittany. Alcatel-Lucent’s project team quickly
demonstrated its ability to work in the power line environment,
setting up the needed processes and organization, and building
a strong relationship with all project stakeholders. Based on
its success, Alcatel-Lucent was awarded the next seven project
phases between 2004 & 2010, which currently total more than
8,000 km.
DELIVERY CHALLENGES
Health, safety and environmental constraints:
Our personnel needed to work atop 60-meter transmission
towers, facing the major hazards of falling and electrocution.
To minimize risk, Alcatel-Lucent team members were trained
and accredited to work in a power line environment.
Project schedule compliance: RTE established a strict
schedule of power outages during which Alcatel-Lucent had
to deploy fiber-optic cables around the power lines. Moreover,
Alcatel-Lucent had to meet a target date for delivery of
the overall fiber-optic project to @rteria. Alcatel-Lucent
successfully met every project deadline.
Communication: To facilitate communication with RTE
and @rteria, Alcatel-Lucent named its General Project
Manager as the key interface between itself and the customer.
Alcatel-Lucent also assigned a dedicated project manager
for each of RTE’s 7 regions. The companies worked closely
together on a daily basis as work progressed.
MEETING NEEDS
The RTE project provides an example of Alcatel-Lucent’s
thorough understanding of RTE’s stringent requirements as
a state-owned utility. Thanks to our responsiveness, we were
able to meet our customer’s tight deadlines while simultaneously
overcoming technical challenges.
Patrick Desforges
Alcatel-Lucent
General Project Manager
"The key-success factor of Alcatel-Lucent
was its ability to quickly understand RTE’s
stringent requirements: limitation of the
high-voltage network outages, improvement
of the safety practices, and the ability
to provide the best-in-class telecom solution."
Alcatel-Lucent
Case study
RTE
3
The RTE Solution at a Glance
THE BUSINESS SOLUTION
Alcatel-Lucent provided RTE with a Mission-Critical WAN
Infrastructure, deploying 8,000 km of fiber-optic cable on
RTE’s high-voltage network, while providing all engineering,
supply, installation and commissioning. A specialized
Alcatel-Lucent team delivered the project on budget
and on schedule.
The new telecom network has enabled RTE to maintain
the highest level of operational excellence, improving the
reliability of its electrical transmission network, increasing its
operational efficiency and improving the company’s internal
data communications.
Leveraging the new network, RTE (through @rteria) can now
generate new revenue streams by selling excess fiber-optic
capacity to telecom operators and local authorities, enabling
them to deliver broadband services.
THE TECHNICAL SOLUTION
ROSE Fiber – 2004 to 2010: Passive network
• Supply of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW), Optical Phase
Conductor (OPPC), Wrapped and Underground cables
• Project management
• Procurement
• Installation and testing
• Civil works and installation of underground cables
ROSE Telecom – 2008 to 2011 – Active Network
Network Services
An Alcatel-Lucent Mission-Critical WAN Infrastructure
provides multiservice traffic convergence on a scalable,
high capacity network with high reliability. This features
the Alcatel-Lucent Optical Multi-Service Node (OMSN)
product family including:
• Alcatel-Lucent 1696 Metrospan (MS) wavelength division
multiplexing (WDM)
• Alcatel-Lucent 1650 SM and 1662 SMC multiservice
SDH multiplexers
• A unified end-to-end management solution with the
Alcatel-Lucent 1353 NM, 1354 RM, 1354 BM ETH,
1356 DCN and 1354 SY
• 24/7 level 3 (support & repair/swap) Maintenance
over 15-years
• Development of the Network Operations Center (NOC)
and agents training (350 days)
• Management, Supervision and Maintenance jointly
performed by RTE and Alcatel-Lucent
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the information presented, which is subject to change without notice. Pictures: Médiathèque RTE,
Laurent Rothan, Gilles Favier, Yves Soulabaille
Design: Art Connexion – 25053 – Content: Editech.
05/2010 – All rights reserved © 2010 Alcatel-Lucent.