Introduction
Skagerak Nett, one of Norway's biggest power suppliers with about 175,000 customers, has taken the technological step to also be one of the best. Tekla is one of the cornerstones in this process.
As Skagerak Energi, the parent of Skagerak Nett, became one of Norway's biggest power suppliers at the turn of the 21st century, the acquisition of a comprehensive network information management system became topical. Skagerak Nett's collaboration with Tekla began in fall 2000. "The main reason for choosing Tekla's solution was the comprehensive nature of the product package. The modular system structure gave us the flexibility we wanted," Dispatch Manager Geir Kaasa explains.
According to Kaasa, one of the decisive factors to favor Tekla's solution was its distribution management system, Tekla DMS. None of the other assessed system suppliers could match it. Thanks to Tekla's solution, Skagerak Nett's network is now continuously under surveillance and all incidents are reported immediately as they occur. In addition to distribution surveillance, Tekla's solution is also a valuable tool for planning maintenance procedures. It gives an overview of the state of the network, making it easy to spot network parts in need of maintenance and saving considerable amounts of money. "It's a step forward that's taken us into a new technological era," says Kaasa.
For Tekla, the contract with Skagerak Nett was valuable for it is a significant power distribution company not only in Norway but also on the Nordic scale. "Having one of Norway's largest power supply companies put their faith in us proves that we have a technology that truly holds its own," says Jukka Leppänen, Sales Manager at Tekla Infra & Energy, Energy Distribution segment.
Skagerak Nett steps into the future with Tekla's solution
Adopting the latest technology has moved the day to day workflow at Skagerak Nett into a new era of efficiency. Over the past five years the power distribution company – which is one of the biggest in Norway with around 175,000 customers – has invested more than NOK 50 million in modernizing its network operation and management. The company acquired a network information system to address many of the challenges of today’s operating environment. Tekla's solution was Skagerak Nett’s system of choice.
Significant structural change took place in Norway’s power distribution as the 1990s drew to a close. Skagerak Energi, the parent of Skagerak Nett, grew considerably while many small and medium-sized network companies faced a wave of consolidations and changes in ownership. In a few short years, Skagerak Energi developed to become one of Norway’s biggest power suppliers. The company’s owners saw it was necessary to implement creative measures to justify their considerable investment expenditure. The acquisition of a comprehensive network information management system was considered an appropriate step in the right direction.
Skagerak Nett’s collaboration with Tekla began in September 2000. According to Dispatch Manager Geir Kaasa, the choice of technology was made only after a thorough evaluation of systems from several suppliers. Tekla had six modules to offer and Skagerak Nett considered that acquiring five of them would deliver the appropriate effect and return on the initial investment.
“The main reason for choosing Tekla's solution was the comprehensive offering. The modular system structure gave us the flexibility we wanted,” Kaasa explains. “The modules we bought were for basic network information, electro-technical network calculations, maintenance management, network planning and network operations. Together they make a complete solution which has contributed to significant efficiency gains in our network operation.
“One particular return we’ve made on our investment in Tekla's solution is that we’ve been able to reduce the manning at our system control centre. Tekla's solution has also helped put us in a position where we could considerably streamline the duty rota for our installation technicians.”
A unique solution for distribution management
According to Geir Kaasa, Tekla's distribution management system, Tekla DMS, was one of the decisive factors in favour of the Tekla solution. None of the other system suppliers they assessed could match it.
“Without doubt, Tekla DMS has made a valuable contribution to our improved efficiency. The real-time information it produces means that our operations personnel have a constant hands-on approach to the network. Absolutely nothing is left to chance. The network is continually under surveillance with any incidents reported as they happen,” he says.
Skagerak Nett’s power distribution network is controlled from Porsgrunn, about 140 km south-west of Oslo. In total, the control room manages a 4,300 km medium voltage network, a 1,200 km high voltage network and a 12,000 km low voltage network.
“In addition to day-to-day network management, Tekla's solution is a valuable tool for planning maintenance procedures,” says Kjell Gunnar Aske, the Tekla system user at Skagerak Nett. “Network failures are expensive. The cost of an unexpected power failure can quickly run to millions of crowns. But with Tekla's solution we have a continual overview of the state of the network. To a large degree we can also plan our maintenance downtime and save a considerable amount of money.”
Today around 150 Skagerak Nett employees have been trained to use Tekla's solution. “Much of this has happened in-house, but we’ve also had valuable support from Tekla. Everyone in the company is now completely up to speed with the solution – it’s a step forward that’s taken us into a new technological era,” says Geir Kaasa.
Winning technology in the Nordic market
For Tekla, the contract with Skagerak Nett signified a real breakthrough in the Norwegian power distribution market. However, Skagerak Nett is not only a significant power distribution company in Norway but also on the Nordic scale. For Tekla this is a valuable customer reference both on the Norwegian and international markets.
“We awarded the contract in an environment where competition is tough,” Geir Kaasa emphasizes. “We’ve had a considerable return on our investment. The diversity and flexibility of Tekla’s product portfolio are perfect attributes for tailoring solutions to suit specific needs. We have particularly high expectations for the distribution management system which operates in conjunction with our SCADA installation in real-time. Tekla's solution is an essential and efficient tool in the everyday operation of our network.”