Japanese energy technology company Hitachi Energy has delivered a 150kV digital substation to Indonesian utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN Persero) to ensure reliable power in East Java, Indonesia.

Built on an area of 1.5 hectares, the digital substation is the first and largest of its kind in East Java, according to Hitachi Energy, and connects the 200-hectare Sidoarjo Industrial Estate to PLN’s grid, ensuring the many large manufacturing companies have access to stable power.

The substation will facilitate decarbonisation by allowing for the integration of renewable energy into the electricity network and will positively influence economic growth in the East Java Province by ensuring a reliable source of electricity, according to Hitachi.

Djarot Hutabri, General Manager of the East Java and Bali Development Central Unit, said: “Thanks to Hitachi Energy, with this digital substation, operators can retrieve real-time data about electricity flowing in the network so they can anticipate and make decisions faster.

“This is important for the resilience and stability of the electricity network, especially to support this very strategic industrial area in East Java.

“In addition, this digital substation also allows for improved reliability, integration of new, cleaner forms of energy, and delivery of energy services in a smarter and safer way”.

The digitalisation of PLN’s Sidoarjo substation aims to lower O&M costs and will limit electrical risk with the use of fiber optic cable rather than copper for operational data exchange.

According to Hitachi Energy, the new substation at KIS is based on the latest communication protocols and will use a process bus communication network to enable the continuous bidirectional exchange of digital data between primary equipment, protection equipment, the SCADA system, and the regional control centre.

Station-level control is achieved through Hitachi Energy’s MicroSCADA power automation solution, from which PLN can get intelligent and automated results, thereby enhancing the availability and resilience of its power infrastructure.

MicroSCADA, along with the latest generation of remote terminal units (RTU), protection devices, and merging units, will enable PLN to improve the efficiency of its operations.

Furthermore, centralized monitoring enables disturbances to be identified and addressed quickly, minimising network disruption. This is particularly important to ensure the stable supply of electricity to the industrial estate and to increase reliability by sharing the energy load and distribution between the regions of Bangil and New Porong.