Kolenergo utility metering system (1999-2000)

January 1, 2000 Kolenergo is the largest utility in North-West region of Russia. Due to installation of Alpha CENTER metering system, Kolenergo in 2001 began to trade electricity on the market.

Starting point:
Today, the transition to the market economy requires radical changes in organization and activities in the national power-engineering sector. In recent years, the program for the development of the Russian Federal Wholesales Market of Electrical Energy and Power (FOREM) has been rapidly elaborated. However, this process faces a number of problems, one of them being associated mainly with the necessity to carry out large-scale re-equipment of electricity metering devices and organize automated meter reading systems (AMR).

Main objective: Entering the FOREM
In the framework of transition to the FOREM, Kolenergo outlined its activities as follows:

• Updating of electricity metering. Installation of the time-of-use meters of high class of accuracy 0.2S.
• Elaboration of systems for meters data collection and introduction of higher-level software for data storage and data processing.

New equipment in this case should undergo metrological certification, be certified by the
Gosstandart Russian Authorities and be capable to assure proper protection of commercial
information.

Integrated solution: Organization of the advanced AMR system
In November, 1999 at "Kolenergo Ltd" an intelligent AMR system with the Alpha SMART distributed data processing system was put into commercial operation. The project lasted as long as two years and included the ALPHA meters installation, arrangement of the automated data collection system and a prolonged period of pilot operation. This article will give you the knowledge of the results obtained during the year after the system was put into commercial operation.

ABB VEI Metronica supplied equipment to "Kolenergo Ltd" substations and performed a full scope of work on the system introduction at these substations, system upgrading to meet the Utility and the North-West Integrated Dispatching Service (IDS) requirements including testing of communication channels and the complete system adjustment.

System structure and functions
The system includes the Kolenergo intersystem connections with the Kolskaya nuclear power plant and Karelenergo. The system integrates two substations: the Kolskaya nuclear power plant and the hydro power plant GES-11.

The meters data are automatically (in 3-minute intervals) delivered from these substations to data collection and data processing units RTU-310. (The system block diagram is given in figures). At substations, the RTU employs interface RS-485 for meter data readout. At the Energosbyt and the Automated Dispatching System (ADS) the dial-up PLC channels are used.

Time-shared RTU data are delivered via dial-up channels to:
Energosbyt (once a day) for generation of commercial reports on Kolenergo intersystem connections. These reports are transferred to the Energosbyt billing department.

The substations are provided with the higher-level software that provides the real-time monitoring.

Works performed

Under this project, ABB VEI Metronica, alongside with production and supply of basic equipment,
performed the work as follows:

• Development and coordination of the AMR project.
• System upgrading according to Kolenergo and the North-West IDS requirements.
• Supervision of installation, start-up and adjustment.
• Personnel training.
• System certification at the substation and putting into commercial operation.

The company has undertaken to support the system throughout the whole period of its operation. The warranty period for the whole equipment will be 3 years.

Final results

• Volume and validity of the obtained data on energy flows in the AMR system meet requirements set forth in regulatory documents.
• Data stored in the ALPHA meter fully coincide with information read by PCs.
• The AMR sample output reports meet Kolenergo users' requirements.
• Intercomputer data exchange on interstate flows between Kolenergo and the "North-West" Integrated Dispatching Service (IDS) via dial-up channels was organized.
• Data transmitted to the North-West IDS meet the FOREM commercial metering and billing requirements.

System development
The expertise in the ALPHA SMART system handling testifies to correctness of engineering solutions applied and shows vast prospects for AMR system based on digital meter data transmission. In this connection, a decision was taken to continue further development and improvement of electricity metering by means of the following programs: Increase the amount of meters at the Kolskaya nuclear power plant to make it possible to calculate the overall balance of the plant.

Organize dedicated channels between the substations and the Kolenergo ADS to provide supervision of operating conditions.

Organize the higher level in Kolenergo and Energosbyt making use of UNIX servers and ORACLE database for billing procedure automation.