Digital Systems Enhance Power Supply Reliability in Primorye
Russia is rolling out advanced digital technologies in its energy sector, and a new real-time monitoring system is helping secure stable electricity supply for millions of people in this Far East region.
From Manual Control to Digital Technologies
The System for Monitoring Stability Margins (SMSM) is a domestically developed hardware and software complex, created by JSC “NTC UES” together with “SO UES.” It is an advanced IT solution for managing power grids in real time.
SMSM calculates the maximum permissible active power flows (MAPF) based on the current grid configuration and operating conditions. The technology enables dispatchers at the Primorye Regional Dispatch Office to optimize energy facility loads, making maximum use of the network’s transmission capacity without compromising reliability.
For Primorye residents, the system means more stable electricity supply and fewer outages during peak demand. Through the “Primorye” controlled section, up to 50% of the region’s total consumed capacity is transmitted, powering the most densely populated southern territories, including large industrial consumers and the seaports of Vladivostok, Nakhodka, and the Khasan district.
Prospects for Digital Technologies in Energy
The rollout of SMSM in Primorye coincides with large-scale modernization of the region’s transmission and generation infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for further development of digital power management systems.
In the short term, deployment will continue in other Russian regions. For instance, by 2026 the system is planned to cover 90% of controlled grid sections in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
A promising area of development is expanding the system’s role beyond grid operation management to include use as a technological market tool. It could become part of the modeling process for Russia’s day-ahead and balancing electricity markets.
Three Five-Year Plans of Digitalization
The development and implementation of SMSM in Russia has taken place step by step.
2013: first SMSM projects in the Northwestern Interconnected Power System.
2018: rollout in the Siberian IPS, increasing the transmission capacity of main HV lines by up to 700 MW.
2019: scaling the technology to 18 controlled sections in the Siberian IPS.
2021: deployment in backbone sections of the Central UES of Russia.
2023–2024: expansion to the Perm and Krasnoyarsk territories and technologically isolated power systems.
2024: deployment in Primorye and the Leningrad region.
Today SMSM is already applied in more than 300 controlled sections across Russia, demonstrating high efficiency in diverse energy systems nationwide.
From Basic Algorithms to Artificial Intelligence
The introduction of the monitoring system in Primorye marks an important step in Russia’s digital energy transformation. The technology not only improves power supply reliability during seasonal peaks but also highlights the capabilities of the domestic IT industry in creating sophisticated critical infrastructure management systems.
The successful implementation in Primorye provides valuable experience for replication in other regions, supporting Russia’s broader energy digitalization goals. As artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to evolve, even more advanced power management systems are expected to emerge, based on predictive analytics and adaptive control.
