ABB digital solution to enable French electricity grid to get smarter

energy saving

France

ABB digital solution to enable French electricity grid to get smarter

Robin Whitlock

ABB has been selected by RTE (Réseau de transport d’électricité) to deploy its ABB Ability Network Manager control system, which will enable operators to monitor and control the grid more efficiently.

The increasing contribution of renewables to the energy mix requires the grid to become more flexible and interconnected to handle intermittence, balance demand and supply and ensure stability. This calls for a more intelligent power grid that can handle integration of high levels of wind and solar and maximise the use of renewables to lower environmental impact but at the same time safeguard security and quality of power supply.
The ABB Ability Network Manager SCADA/EMS system (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System) is a scalable solution that will help monitor and control the network with thousands of substations to ensure high system reliability across all of France, including Paris, the City of Lights. ABB’s consortium partner Atos Worldgrid will be responsible for the system integration and maintenance of the system.
"Our ABB Ability Network Manager control system will enable RTE to manage and optimize the transmission network across France and help maximise the reliable and efficient delivery of clean power to millions of consumers" said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Grid Automation business within the company’s Power Grids division. "Enhancing our digital focus and supporting our customers as a partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid, is a cornerstone of our Next Level strategy."
As the country’s leading transmission utility, RTE has a transmission network composed of more than 1,200 transformers, 2,800 substations and 3,500 delivery points. RTE is executing a grid modernisation programme across its electricity network to ensure reliable power supply to consumers across France. 
France is the sixth largest country in the world by Gross Domestic Product, with a population of more than 64 million people. Its annual power consumption of more than 440 Terawatt hours (TWh) is supported by Europe’s largest transmission network with 50 cross-border connections and nearly 105,000 kilometers of lines that transport electricity over long distances.

Image: ABB Ability Manager Control System control room
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