Revolutionising underfrequency load shedding schemes - the E-REDES initiative

Modernising and strengthening electric transmission and distribution systems is essential in a world increasingly reliant on electrification, distributed resources, and renewable energy integration. Underfrequency Load Shedding Schemes (UFLS) play a critical role in maintaining power system stability, especially during high demand or unexpected disruptions. E-REDES, the main Portuguese Distribution System Operator (DSO), in partnership with the Transmission System Operator (TSO), REN, is developing an automated UFLS approach to improve robustness, flexibility, and efficiency. The current manual UFLS process leads to inefficiencies, prompting the need for automatic calculations and monitoring to address energy transition challenges like distributed energy variability. E-REDES leverages Microsoft Azure Databricks to develop the new UFLS architecture, centralising data from multiple systems, including Geographic Information System (GIS), Outage Management System (OMS), and SCADA. This plan focuses on High Voltage (HV) to Medium Voltage (MV) Substations with frequency load-shedding systems. A rule-based algorithm introduces data consolidation, correlation techniques, and a multi-criteria approach for optimised load allocation. This initiative enhances operational efficiency and supports technical evolution, addressing new energy transition demands. The integration of advanced calculation and monitoring methodologies ensures a more responsive and adaptable system for managing power stability in an evolving energy landscape.