Endesa launches grid protection project ‘Resisto’

Spanish utility Endesa’s project Resisto is aimed to reduce the impact of meteorological phenomena on the electricity grid.

Resisto, led by Endesa’s network subsidiary e-distribución, is proposing the development of predictive analysis and management solutions for weather events and other natural phenomena through the use of artificial intelligence as well as the deployment of sensors, thermal surveillance cameras, weather stations and a fleet of autonomous drones.

The initiative, which will be developed in the Doñana National Park in southern Spain, was selected as one of the winning projects in a 2021 call by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation for European Regional Development Fund financing to support research and development in artificial intelligence and other digital technologies.

“This project comes in a collaborative and convergent form with different institutions so that the network can adapt to different climatic situations and atmospheric phenomena,” says Rafael Sánchez Durán, Endesa’s Director of Networks in Andalusia and Extremadura.

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“With the ability to autonomously supervise and change its operation through the use of drones, sensors and the artificial intelligence, we will have the capacity to make our networks much more resistant.”

The project, believed to be a first in Europe, has its background in mitigating the impact on the network of the extreme weather events that are expected to become increasingly common in the future.

Grid protection solutions

The focus is on solutions in four area, planning, detection, recovery and adaptation with the possible deployment of a LoRa and 4G/5G communications network also under investigation.

Through the use of artificial intelligence and big data areas will be identified that are at the greatest risk of incidence to certain weather conditions as well as from the physical actions from animals and humans in order to aid prediction and prevention.

With the use of sensors and thermal and other surveillance, the growth and control of vegetation can be monitored.

To aid recovery artificial intelligence and a fleet of autonomous drones are proposed to locate and monitor incidents in real time and to support operation and maintenance tasks, especially in difficult to access areas.

Finally through the continued learning of artificial intelligence, the experiences gained can be fed back to further strengthen grid protection.

Resisto is a 20-month project with a total budget of €1.9 million (US$2 million).

Other participants will include the Catalonia Energy Research Institute (IREC), the Andalucia Association for Research and Industrial Cooperation (AICIA), technology company ATISoluciones and the University of Granada.

The Doñana National Park is made up of a mosaic of ecosystems that are home to a unique biodiversity in Europe with thousands of European and African birds and endangered species such as the Iberian Imperial Eagle and Iberian Lynx.