Power communication networks critical for grid of the future

A white paper released by Huawei and IDC underlines how significant communication technologies will be in building the sustainable, carbon-neutral energy grids of the future.

The white paper, On Electric Power Communication All-Optical Network Architecture and technologies, was released yesterday at the Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Electric Power Summit, which formed part of Enlit Africa 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The paper underlines how the power communication network is the basis for automatic power grid dispatching, market-oriented network operations and modernised management.

Such a network, it states, is an important means to ensure secure, stable and economical operations of the power grid as well as the core infrastructure of the power system.

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The white paper further describes how to build an intelligent optical base for power communication networks based on the all-optical architecture. It also aims to help the electric power industry cope with digital challenges, meet technical requirements for digital transformation and accelerate digital transformation.

Edwin Diender, chief innovation officer of the Global Electric Power Digitalisation Business Unit for Huawei Technologies, stated how "energy transition and digital technology combined are able to drive us towards carbon neutrality.

"We want to leverage our experience in the world wide web of communications into a world wide web of energy."

According to Diender, achieving that will require a mindset shift from many players in the energy sector.

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"Where having a smart grid is often the end-stage for the energy industry and electric power companies, we see much more potential…With such aspiration, the informatisation of the power grid becomes more significant, more meaningful. And this digital journey will lead to more sustainable future power systems."

Diender added that utilities need to embrace that digital transformation is an ongoing journey that can't be achieved as a one-off project or by adopting specific technologies.

That journey starts with digitisation (eg. the switching from analogue to digital meters), moves on to digitalisation (building a network of smart meters), and ultimately results in full digital transmission, which he states might look like having full digital twins of every meter on the grid.

According to Victor Guo, President of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Enterprise Business Group, digital technologies are vital to leading the transition to a more sustainable energy sector.

"Using the expertise it's gained from more than three decades in the communication sector, he added, Huawei ideally placed to "pave a digital way to a global energy transition."