During the third quarter of 2011, Efacec Automation concluded several projects with REFER, the Portuguese public company responsible for technical management of national railway network infrastructure. These projects were implemented in the Alentejo Line, with the main goal of improving the energy remote control system.

The solution installed by Efacec included BCU 500 units, integrally developed by Automation, as well as redundant power supply systems, and power control modules that allow maneuvering equipments at the catenary. The BCU 500 main function is to control and supervise all bays included in traction substations and catenary stations located across the Alentejo Line.

The installations were performed at the following railway stations: Vendas Novas, Casa Branca, Torre da Gadanha, Monte das Flores and Évora.

Efacec has recently finished a set of projects within the scope of distribution substation automation for Portuguese EDP Distribuição, relative to the installation of automation systems for three substations, namely Taveiro, S. Marcos and Almourol, as well as the installation of remote units for two substations, namely Albergaria and Bustos.

The scope of supply for three substations, the turn-key type, is based on CLP 500SAS, one of the variants of CLP 500 platform, that integrates the Efacec station server units UC 500E, protection units Series 420, bays control units BCU 500, and also third party protection.

The scope of supply for other two substations, equally the turn-key type, is based on CLP 500RTU, another variant of CLP 500 platform, consists of two hierarchical levels, Efacec station server units UC 500E and acquisition units.

Substation automation solutions offered by Efacec include state of the art field-proven technology and allow reducing installation, testing and maintenance costs.

As part of a centralized fault isolation and restoration pilot program at Georgia Power, Efacec ACS has delivered its innovative Centrix platform - a template-based smart grid solution that simplifies the implementation process and increases flexibility and functionality for electric utility feeder and distribution automation.

Centrix uses a variety of custom network templates which have multiple devices that may be activated or ignored in order to customize system architecture - or to readily adjust for future growth or a change in equipment or priorities. It creates a unique “island based” configuration for feeder restoration and optimization. The installation costs are similar to a distributed system, yet it uses a true network model that incorporates existing and future devices and technologies to deliver a combination of advanced smart grid applications, including load flow, fault detection isolation and restoration (FDIR), loss minimization, interactive volt-var control (IVVC) and more.

The solution is currently undergoing site testing at Georgia Power. It will be deployed on a portion of the utility's suburban Atlanta network covering 13 distribution substations and 15 feeders. Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the largest generators of electricity in the US. The company is an investor-owned utility serving 2.4 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties.