Volue’s Advanced Distribution Management System enhances Tensio’s real-time grid operations

Introduction

Tensio is responsible for electricity distribution across the Trøndelag region, serving approximately 500,000 residents across an area equivalent in size to Denmark. The company operates 29,000 km of power lines and cables, 100 transformer stations, and 13,000 substations, ensuring a continuous and stable power supply. As a key player in Norway’s energy infrastructure, Tensio uses Volue Power Grid’s Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) to optimise its grid planning and operations.

The challenge: extreme weather disruptions

The Trøndelag region in central Norway frequently experiences harsh weather conditions, including heavy snow, ice formation, lightning, and strong winds. These conditions can damage power lines, causing widespread outages. In such scenarios, Tensio’s priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of the community while restoring power as swiftly as possible. Managing multiple simultaneous outages efficiently is a complex task, requiring precise coordination and a rapid response.

The solution: ADMS by Volue Power Grid

To effectively manage its grid operations, Tensio uses ADMS, Volue’s industry-leading software that supports real-time monitoring across all voltage levels. ADMS is used in outage management and planning, while offering robust decision-making support through network analysis capabilities. The system also enables communication between field crews, control rooms, and customers, ensuring a streamlined and efficient response when required.

Overcoming severe weather events

Recently, Tensio faced multiple rounds of severe weather, leading to a surge in power outages. The use of ADMS provided those in its operations centre with a clear overview of all switching operations and simultaneous faults, ensuring an organised approach to restoration efforts. According to Fanny Moen Pettersen of Tensio:

“We had several rounds of extreme weather during this winter, resulting in a significant number of outages. ADMS allowed us to maintain a comprehensive overview of all ongoing outages. This was crucial in ensuring we performed the right switching operations and connected them correctly. Once the situation stabilised, we were already well-prepared for FASIT reporting, having efficiently divided cases among operators. Without ADMS, overcoming the level of outages using traditional manual solutions would have been all but impossible.”

Results and impact

During a particularly severe 24-hour weather period, Tensio managed 42,000 customers off supply in more than a 100 different HV and MV cases.

Thanks to ADMS, Tensio was able to pinpoint outages before restoring power more efficiently, minimising downtime and disruptions. The system’s advanced tools helped prioritise crucial infrastructure, ensuring that critical societal functions were not compromised.

Morten Husom, Senior Product Owner, Volue, said:

“As product owner, it is a pleasure to work with experienced and committed users that seek to utilise what is already available, while looking for possibilities to improve the way they operate. Input from customers like Tensio is crucial to understanding the realities in the field to improve the capabilities of the solution. It is always valuable to hear that the outage management component provides oversight and control, even in severe conditions with a high volume of simultaneous outages

“We place great value in co-creation. To put it simply, the success of ADMS lies not only in its technical insight but, more importantly, in the close collaboration with our customers.”

Conclusion

By leveraging Volue Power Grid’s ADMS, Tensio has significantly improved its ability to respond to outages, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure a reliable power supply for its customers during challenging weather periods. In an era of increasing volatile weather conditions, adopting advanced grid management solutions will continue to prove essential for modern utilities. Tensio’s experience highlights the critical role of digital transformation in maintaining a resilient and responsive power grid.