Project Highlight
Building Grid Resilience in Ghana With Synchrophasor Technology
Around the world, utilities and SEL Engineering Services (ES) teams work together to deploy advanced solutions for electric power systems. From planning and implementation to maintenance and lifetime product support, SEL offers comprehensive services and local insights to help utilities achieve their goals. Learn how SEL and GRIDCo enhanced transmission system measurement and monitoring in the West African region.
Challenge
As the sole operator of the national transmission system in Ghana, GRIDCo was seeking an advanced solution to measure and monitor the status of electrical power across a large geographical area. GRIDCo is a member of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and must ensure power system stability and prevent cascading trips on lines connected to neighboring Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo. GRIDCo wanted to enhance power system visibility, take timely corrective actions, and effectively deliver power from wholesale suppliers to bulk customers.
Solution
GRIDCo worked with SEL ES South Africa to turn its existing SEL-400 series relays into phasor measurement units (PMUs) installed at 330 kV, 225 kV, and 161 kV voltage levels at nine different substations. The PMUs provide real-time insights on voltage, current, and phase angles across the network. As part of this wide-area monitoring system solution, GRIDCo monitors its system from a central location using SEL-5703 Synchrowave Monitoring software. The centralized setup includes the SEL-3355 Computing Platform, SEL-5073 synchroWAVe Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) Software, and SEL-2407 Satellite-Synchronized Clocks. SEL ES engineered the PMUs, supported the system configuration, verified synchrophasor values, ensured synchronization of the clocks, and provided technical training for the GRIDCo team.
Results
As a regional leader in grid modernization, GRIDCo now uses synchrophasor technology to gain deeper insights into grid disturbances and enhance event analysis and reporting. The team is also exploring synchrophasor technology as a basis for special protection and control schemes. In addition, the installation serves as an educational resource for agencies like WAPP, utilities, and academics in the region to learn about advanced monitoring solutions and cutting-edge technologies for real-time grid control.
Customer ProfileName: Ghana Grid Company LTD. (GRIDCo)Location: West AfricaIndustry: GRIDCo operates the most extensive and reliable interconnected transmission system in West AfricaApplication: Wide-Area Monitoring System (WAMS)
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“We are excited to adopt SEL synchrophasor technology and utilize existing relay assets as PMUs to monitor transmission networks and gain insights for working towards grid resilience.”