Digital Protection for the Real World: RPA Modernisation Strengthens the Power System
Digital transformation has reached the very heart of the power grid – high-voltage substations. A clear example is the completion by Rosseti Novosibirsk of the modernisation of the Mokhovaya and Zarechnaya substations.
From Mechanics to Digital Systems: What the Shift Means
The core change was the replacement of electromechanical relays that had been in service for more than 25 years with modern, Russian-made microprocessor-based protection systems. From a technical standpoint, this represents a fundamental step forward. The new systems deliver far higher precision in protection algorithms, which is critical for preventing accidents. They are equipped with advanced diagnostic and real-time monitoring functions and, most importantly, can be integrated into automated grid control systems, becoming a building block of a smart energy infrastructure.
The importance of this upgrade is hard to overstate. These substations supply electricity to socially critical facilities – hospitals, schools, municipal utilities, industrial enterprises, and transport infrastructure in Berdsk, Iskitim, and Bolotnoye. Investment in the project exceeded 7.2 million rubles (around $86,000). The result is a tangible increase in supply reliability for thousands of consumers and a reduction in the risk of large-scale technological disruptions.
Looking Ahead: Integration, Analytics, Export Potential
Modernisation of relay protection and automation is only the first step. Digital protection devices are becoming sources of valuable operational data, enabling their integration into more complex IT ecosystems. Looking forward, this opens the door to deeper deployment of industrial IoT, AI-based predictive analytics for failure forecasting, and full integration with SCADA systems.
Successful field deployment of Russian digital solutions also creates export potential. The accumulated experience and proven hardware could find demand in markets with developing energy infrastructure that are seeking alternatives to traditional Western technologies.
Part of a Nationwide Trend
The project in Novosibirsk Region is not an isolated case but part of a broader sector-wide strategy. Digitalisation of relay protection and automation is a core element of the Rosseti Group’s “Digital Transformation 2030” programme. Similar projects are under way across the country – from modernisation of the 220 kV Sherlovogorskaya substation in Zabaykalsky Krai to the rollout of digital protection systems in Lipetsk Region and the Russian Far East.
This approach responds directly to current challenges. Today, both legacy electromechanical relay protection equipment dating back to the Soviet era and microprocessor-based devices supplied by manufacturers from unfriendly countries are reaching the end of their operational lifespan. Transitioning to domestic microprocessor-based terminals addresses several issues at once: it sharply improves reliability, enables the creation of fully digital substations, and strengthens technological sovereignty by reducing dependence on imported solutions.
Strengthening Energy Security
Replacing outdated relays with digital protection systems is therefore not merely a technical upgrade but a strategic contribution to energy security. It is a concrete example of how digitalisation, embodied in hardware and software, directly improves quality of life by ensuring stable operation of hospitals, schools, and municipal services. The shift toward intelligent, connected, and resilient grids is an inevitable and already unfolding trend that will shape the future of Russia’s power sector.
