E-REDES’ logic interoperability specification for PAS: testing and validation

E-REDES, the Distribution System Operator (DSO) in Portugal, faces numerous challenges in its electrical substations, where automation systems from different manufacturers and generations coexist. Achieving high levels of interoperability has become a priority, setting the stage for truly digital primary substations. In partnership with EDP Labelec, E-REDES has identified the main obstacles and trends of the IEC61850 Protocol, as implemented by each manufacturer, which has led to incompatible solutions. The IEC61850 Protocol could be an important tool for interoperability in Protection and Automation Systems (PAS); however, the manufacturers' interpretation of the protocol hinders interoperability within a PAS. To address this, as outlined in previous papers, the strategy involved defining the necessary parameters to configure the IEC61850 Protocol to align with the standard E-REDES substation project. The creation of this "made in E-REDES" protocol introduced new challenges in its implementation, particularly concerning the communication profile and logic. Therefore, this paper aims to present a proof of concept by implementing the logical functions of load shedding and restoration in two Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) from different manufacturers to validate the interpretation of the "made in E-REDES" standard. This work focuses on validating the logic interoperability rather than the communication profile.