Elia deploys first autonomous robot for HVDC substation inspection
Marking a first in Europe, Elia Group has deployed an autonomous robot with smart sensors to inspect a substation in Belgium after re-energisation.
The Belgian TSO last week installed the robot in Elia’s main HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) converter hall in Lixhe, Belgium, during the hall’s yearly outage period of one week.
The hall has since been re-energised, meaning that no humans can safely enter it, and the robot is currently inspecting the hall on a 24/7 basis.
The ALEGrO robot – used to inspect the Belgian end of ALEGrO, a Belgian-German interconnector – is the first robot in Europe to undertake frequent automated inspections of an HVDC hall.
According to Elia, the installation and deployment of the robot in the hall is the culmination of a two-year collaboration that Elia Group launched with Siemens Energy, Ross Robotics and Nemo Link.
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Substation inspection through the ALEGrO robot
Within the substation, the robot can move around independently, but can also be controlled from a distance, meaning that the electricity supply in the HVDC hall does not need to be interrupted.
The robot carries smart sensors, which help to detect potential issues in the hall, reducing the risk of unexpected outages and minimising its downtime for ad hoc repair work. This maximises the operation time of the converter hall and supports the continuous flow of green electricity across Elia Group’s grid.
The sensors installed on the robot’s base include an RGB camera; a high-grade thermal imaging camera; a high-precision industrial strength pan-tilt unit which holds the cameras; an audio sensor; a microphone; and a range of environmental sensors to monitor features of the hall such as its temperature, relative humidity and illumination.
According to asset manager of HVDC at Elia, Mark Vaes, the robot carries multiple advantages for substation inspection: assets can be continuously monitored – their condition can be checked and assessed on the spot to deduct whether further actions or maintenance is needed. If an anomaly is detected on an asset, the robot can be remotely controlled to provide insights into what the anomaly is and how it can be rectified.
Germany-Belgium interconnection
ALEGrO, the first Belgian-German interconnector, was commissioned in November 2020.
According to the German TSO Amprion, the interconnection has enabled 10TWh of electricity exchanged between both countries.
Last year alone, ALEGrO was available 98% of the time and enabled 5TWh of electricity to be exchanged, flowing towards Belgium 63% of the time and towards Germany 37% of the time.
Earlier this year in February, Amprion and Elia signed a memorandum of understanding for a second interconnector. According to the TSOs, this second interconnector would have the potential to help both countries meet their future energy needs.
The two plan to publish a concept note by mid-2024 that will be the basis for the further design and development of the project.
