Tatarstan Introduces Remote-Controlled Circuit Breakers for Power Lines
JSC Setevaya Kompaniya has launched a large-scale campaign to install smart, remotely controlled circuit breakers across its distribution networks. The project covers virtually every district of Tatarstan.
JSC Setevaya Kompaniya ranks among Russia’s ten largest electric grid companies, and its operations are essential to ensuring a reliable power supply across the republic. The company continually adopts advanced technologies to modernize its infrastructure. It is the only regional grid operator in Russia whose networks span voltages from 0.4 kV to 500 kV. Its infrastructure automation programme calls for the installation of more than 475 remotely controlled circuit breakers.
Installation has already begun at Privolzhskie Electric Grids, a branch of Setevaya Kompaniya. By the end of 2026, the branch plans to install 200 smart devices at 75 transformer substations.
The new circuit breakers will allow dispatchers to monitor current loads, track current and voltage, and operate equipment remotely. Crucially, they can also switch power lines on and off without requiring a crew to travel to the site. When an overload or brief disruption occurs, operators can respond remotely rather than dispatching field crews to the affected location. For that reason, the first devices will be installed on power lines serving remote communities.
The programme is being implemented in partnership with a manufacturer of smart electrical equipment based in Tatarstan. The arrangement benefits both sides: the utility gains a reliable supplier and cuts costs through efficient logistics, while the manufacturer secures steady demand for its products for at least five years.
Scaling Up Domestically and Preparing for Export
Setevaya Kompaniya’s experience could be replicated by other regional grid operators across Russia. It is particularly relevant to large territories with remote communities and settlements that are difficult to reach.
The deployment of smart devices also lays the groundwork for developing intelligent power grids. Remote-controlled circuit breakers could become part of more sophisticated automated control systems built around digital twins now under development. In the longer term, neural-network algorithms could analyse the collected data and support predictive analytics, helping operators identify potential weak points and sections of the network that need further development.
Demand for these devices is also expected to spur manufacturing growth. This will involve not only improving the equipment itself but also developing new software. As a result, sales of both the hardware and its underlying algorithms could expand beyond the domestic market. Russian companies are already active internationally in smart electronics. Reliable, cost-effective solutions are in demand in countries with which Russia maintains friendly relations.
A Planned Approach to Automation
Tatarstan’s power grid is undergoing rapid modernization. In 2020, a substation in Russia became the first to introduce remote control not only of its primary equipment but also of its relay protection and automation systems. The 220 kV Zelenodolskaya substation also operates a monitoring system that uses predictive analytics algorithms.
Equipping several hundred of Setevaya Kompaniya’s substations with remotely controlled circuit breakers is part of a sustained effort in recent years to digitize Tatarstan’s power grid infrastructure.
Moving Towards Intelligent Grid Management
The main benefit of these large-scale projects is a substantial improvement in the reliability of electricity supplies to consumers, alongside lower operating costs for the utility. Investments in equipment modernization are expected to pay for themselves within several years through reduced field crew dispatches and fewer unplanned repairs.
Smart equipment also paves the way for intelligent grid management. Dispatch systems will be able to isolate faults and redistribute loads automatically. At the same time, regional electrical equipment manufacturers gain an incentive to expand production and secure major contracts with other grid operators.
