Nokia supplied an IP/MPLS network overlaid on an optical network to Swiss electricity transmission system operator Swissgrid for the management of its electrical grid, which has a length of 6,700 km covering 140 substations. The “Grid Control Network” additionally interconnects power plants, data centers and offices.
In a turnkey project, Nokia implemented two IP/MPLS -based networks, one an operational network and the other a business communications network. They are both overlaid on an encrypted DWDM and Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplex (CWDM) network, also from Nokia. The IP/MPLS network features Nokia’s 7705 Service Aggregation Router portfolio, with features tailored to support critical applications required by utilities as well as the 7750 Service Router portfolio. The xWDM network layer, based on the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch, provides optical intrusion detection and on-the-fly low latency wavelength encryption for the operational and business communications network. This means that potential physical intrusions on the fiber cable can be detected and located. In case of an intrusion, sensitive data are nevertheless protected through embedded optical layer encryption (AES-256).
Nokia said its solution is supporting mission-critical operational services such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Teleprotection, video surveillance via closed-circuit TV (CCTV), site access control and intrusion detection. This will allow Swissgrid to maintain the highest level of reliability, safety and security across the entire grid. The network is also enabling business communications between electricity substations and Swissgrid locations for tasks such as office local area network (LAN) and voice over IP (VoIP) in a highly secure way.
When fully deployed in partner sites outside of Switzerland in 2016, the “Grid Control Network” will be the key element in the exchange of electricity between Swissgrid’s network in Switzerland and sites in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and France.
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