There’s plenty more where that came from—at least that’s what two providers in the electric industry are telling utilities about their grid capacity.

Paris-based Alstom Grid and Liege, Belgium-based Ampacimon are partnering to help utilities increase the power flowing through existing overhead lines of the grid—unlocking additional capacity previously unavailable. 

The agreement provides a framework for combining Alstom Grid’s e-terra 3.0 suite of control room software solutions with Ampacimon’s Dynamic Line Rating technology, thereby enabling operators to safely increase the usable capacity of their transmission grid. By monitoring their overhead lines in real-time, operators will increase visibility of their networks to help step up load while at the same time preventing excess capacity and detecting line issues, such as icing. 

According to Ampacimon, experience shows that an average of 50 percent extra capacity can be safely exploited in favorable locations.

“Our e-terra 3.0 solutions address the demanding requirements of the Smart Grid transformation by increasing grid operators’ capabilities to manage the variability of renewable energy resources, while maintaining reliability. Accessing Ampacimon’s DLR data brings valuable information to the fingertips of grid operators—helping them to monitor the finer limits of their networks and utilize the untapped capacity,” said Karim El-Naggar, vice president, Network Management Systems at Alstom Grid.

“Our DLR technology paired with Alstom’s leading control room software is a breakthrough for AC (alternating current) networks. Monitoring and forecasting the real behavior of overhead lines and using this input in advanced network management tools will significantly increase the efficiency of the network assets and further improve security of supply,” said Peter Schell, general director, Ampacimon.” 

Ampacimon’s system uses autonomous Vibration Monitors to acquire data on the actual behavior of the overhead lines—measuring sag as well as actual ambient condition to determine the maximum allowable load and also detect icing. This data is then transmitted to Alstom Grid’s e-terra platform 3.0 energy management system at the dispatching control center, where it is incorporated into the operators’ network view. Ampacimon’s unique DLR system does not require any set parameters and is not calibrated to a specific type of line, making it reliable for both new and existing transmission lines from 63 kilovolts (kV) to 765 kV. The system provides real-time ratings and sag monitoring, as well as forecasted values up to several days ahead.