Endesa harnesses AI and 5G for smart grid worker safety
Image: Endesa
Endesa has tested 5G technology combined with AI to improve the safety of workers in the Smart5Grid project.
The Smart5Grid project, which wrapped up at the end of December 2023, was aimed to demonstrate the potential of 5G in future smart grids, with Endesa’s demonstration in Spain focussed on its use to prevent workplace accidents.
Endesa’s network subsidiary, e-distribution, deployed a private 5G network at the Ecogarraf substation in the Garraf National Park southwest of Barcelona.
Combined with functionalities of AI these were used to monitor that workers and tools do not approach the limits of the delimited safe areas to increase their safety thereby and avoid accidents during maintenance work in electricity substations.
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Specifically, the system that was developed enables workers to be notified when they or a tool they are using crosses the safe work area so that they can retract their position and avoid any risks.
This is based on sensing and imagery from 3D cameras, which with the speed of 5G are processed in real time with AI and a virtual 3D representation of the delimited safe area to monitor the workers’ positions and issue warning alarms when approaching outside the area.
“5G technology opens new development opportunities in various fields, including energy, thanks to the reliability and mass communication capacity it offers,” says Ana Romero, project engineer at Endesa and the coordinator of the demonstration.
“In e-distribution, we have used it to improve the aspect that concerns us most: the safety of workers.”
Smart5Grid was launched in January 2021 with support from the Horizon 2020 scheme and coordinated by Enel.
Other smart grid focussed demonstrations in Italy, Bulgaria and Greece were on the automatic detection of grid failures, the control of distributed generation to offer flexibility services and the control of large areas in real time in a cross-border setting.
