The Mariborski Otok Hydroelectric Power Plant is part of a chain of eight power plants on the Drava River. Its primary task is to generate electricity from water, making it highly dependent on the river's flow and drop. Control over the river parameters and the plant's operation is an automated process monitored from control centers, ensuring as smooth an operation and power supply as possible.
Over time, equipment becomes outdated and more prone to failures; parts that are not kept in reserve can also be destroyed. The Drava hydroelectric power plants are considered critical infrastructure, so they are periodically renovated to avoid issues. This spring, the secondary system equipment was replaced. Since the operation of the control centers' SCADA systems is linked to this equipment, certain adjustments needed to be made to these systems as well.
The SCADA system renovation began simultaneously with the renovation of the secondary systems, which was overseen by the Drava Power Plants' service. They provided us with a new signal list, which included signals connected to the renovated secondary equipment. Communication from the secondary equipment to the new RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) was established, linking the secondary devices with the control center. For the SCADA system to function correctly, communication paths for signals between the renovated secondary equipment and the new RTU needed to be established, along with ensuring the connection to the HSE/DEM control center. We also adjusted SCADA screen displays, internal SCADA calculations, and verified the correctness of signaling, settings, and commands for the operators.
The renovation carried out at the hydroelectric power plant was not aimed at increasing efficiency but rather at enhancing operational reliability. The goal of the renovation is to reduce the number of outages and consequently ensure a more continuous supply of electricity from the Mariborski Otok Hydroelectric Power Plant.
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