Case study Power utility

RTE, FRANCE
ENHANCING SECURITY F O R HI GH-V O LTAGE P O W E R T R ANS MI S S I O N

RTE, responsible for Frances high-voltage transmission grid, needed to build a telecom network to enhance the protection, control and supervision of its high-voltage transmission network. Alcatel-Lucent delivered a turnkey, multi-service, high-speed infrastructure, enabling RTE to maintain the highest level of operational excellence.

RTEs Perspective

CHALLENGES
In 2003, several serious incidents occurred on the teleprotection and telecontrol system. The root cause analysis concluded that they were communicationrelated, pushing RTE to: Build its own private telecom network launching the ROSE (Rseau Optique de Securit) project: a secure optical network for high-voltage transmission line security. Strengthen network protection and reliability: RTE needed to secure its electrical transmission network with reliable, fast communication links used by its line differential transmission protection systems, to compare current input/ output in real time. Increase operational efciency through better control of the grid: A secure, reliable data communications infrastructure was needed to monitor the network conguration, using a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) application. Leverage existing investments: Utilizing its excess ber-optic capacity, RTE wanted to resell dark ber to telecom operators and local authorities through its subsidiary @rteria, to deliver broadband services to low density, remote areas. In 2004, RTE selected Alcatel-Lucent to launch the multi-phase project, in which a ber-optic communications network is laid over high-voltage lines to provide global coverage for the transmission network.

ABOUT RTE
RTE is responsible for the high-voltage and power transmission grid in France. The company, a subsidiary of the EDF Group, is independently managed to guarantee system access to all customers. RTEs network includes 100,000 km of power lines, 250,000 transmission towers and over 2,400 customer delivery points.

SOLUTION
Alcatel-Lucent has the turnkey responsibility to deploy a Mission-Critical WAN Infrastructure consisting of 34 interconnected rings through more than 300 sites in France: 1 federating ring connecting the National Dispatching Centers, 7 national rings at 2,5Gb and 26 regional rings at 600Mb, on RTEs high-voltage network. This includes engineering, supply, installation and commissioning, carried out by a dedicated project management team to ensure project delivery is on time and on budget. Passive network: 8,000 km (out of 12,000 km) of ber optic cables: OPGW, OPPC or wrapped around high-voltage lines. Active network: Fiber activation with the supply of 750 Alcatel-Lucent Optical Multi-Service Node (OMSN) and 80 Alcatel-Lucent 1696 Metrospan wavelength division multiplexing (C&DWDM) equipment, installation & commissioning. Maintenance & Operations services: such as passive and active network level 3 maintenance over 15 years for the whole network, as well as the development of a Network Operations Center (NOC) and agents training.

"In our high-voltage, high-stakes project, Alcatel-Lucent worked closely with our teams, showed great flexibility and initiative, and understood that our operating constraints must prevail at all times."
Grard Pellerin, Operations and Control Director of RTE.

BENEFITS
Moving to a full private network, RTE benets from the market evolution where the Mission Critical WAN Infrastructure meets the high-performance requirements of teleprotection, and telecontrol while keeping the expenses under full control. Leveraging this new telecom network, RTE is extending its reputation for operational excellence with key initiatives: Right on time, @rteria (RTE subsidiary) delivered a turnkey ber-optic network to several French regional authorities, narrowing the digital divide by offering broadband services where DSL is unavailable. Improved energy network stability and reliability thanks to a direct supervision of the network through the dedicated Network Operations Center. Fully trained RTE personnel due to Alcatel-Lucents tailor-made training program and the transfer of their telecom expertise supported by high-level maintenance services.

2 Alcatel-Lucent

Case study

RTE

Alcatel-Lucents Perspective

CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
RTE was seeking the turnkey delivery of a highly reliable telecom network to enhance the protection, control and supervision of its power transmission network. The company particularly required a trusted partner with a proven record in rolling out complex and demanding telecom infrastructure projects.

DELIVERY CHALLENGES
Health, safety and environmental constraints: Our personnel needed to work atop 60-meter transmission towers, facing the major hazards of falling and electrocution. To minimize risk, Alcatel-Lucent team members were trained and accredited to work in a power line environment. Project schedule compliance: RTE established a strict schedule of power outages during which Alcatel-Lucent had to deploy ber-optic cables around the power lines. Moreover, Alcatel-Lucent had to meet a target date for delivery of the overall ber-optic project to @rteria. Alcatel-Lucent successfully met every project deadline. Communication: To facilitate communication with RTE and @rteria, Alcatel-Lucent named its General Project Manager as the key interface between itself and the customer. Alcatel-Lucent also assigned a dedicated project manager for each of RTEs 7 regions. The companies worked closely together on a daily basis as work progressed.

OUR METHODOLOGY
ROSE began with a life-size pilot project (ROSE 1), involving 500 km in Brittany. Alcatel-Lucents project team quickly demonstrated its ability to work in the power line environment, setting up the needed processes and organization, and building a strong relationship with all project stakeholders. Based on its success, Alcatel-Lucent was awarded the next seven project phases between 2004 & 2010, which currently total more than 8,000 km.

MEETING NEEDS
The RTE project provides an example of Alcatel-Lucents thorough understanding of RTEs stringent requirements as a state-owned utility. Thanks to our responsiveness, we were able to meet our customers tight deadlines while simultaneously overcoming technical challenges.

Patrick Desforges
Alcatel-Lucent General Project Manager

"The key-success factor of Alcatel-Lucent was its ability to quickly understand RTEs stringent requirements: limitation of the high-voltage network outages, improvement of the safety practices, and the ability to provide the best-in-class telecom solution."

Alcatel-Lucent

Case study

RTE

The RTE Solution at a Glance

THE BUSINESS SOLUTION

Alcatel-Lucent provided RTE with a Mission-Critical WAN Infrastructure, deploying 8,000 km of ber-optic cable on RTEs high-voltage network, while providing all engineering, supply, installation and commissioning. A specialized Alcatel-Lucent team delivered the project on budget and on schedule. The new telecom network has enabled RTE to maintain the highest level of operational excellence, improving the reliability of its electrical transmission network, increasing its operational efciency and improving the companys internal data communications. Leveraging the new network, RTE (through @rteria) can now generate new revenue streams by selling excess ber-optic capacity to telecom operators and local authorities, enabling them to deliver broadband services.

THE TECHNICAL SOLUTION

ROSE Fiber 2004 to 2010: Passive network

Supply of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW), Optical Phase Conductor (OPPC), Wrapped and Underground cables Project management Procurement Installation and testing Civil works and installation of underground cables
ROSE Telecom 2008 to 2011 Active Network Network Services

An Alcatel-Lucent Mission-Critical WAN Infrastructure provides multiservice trafc convergence on a scalable, high capacity network with high reliability. This features the Alcatel-Lucent Optical Multi-Service Node (OMSN) product family including: Alcatel-Lucent 1696 Metrospan (MS) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) Alcatel-Lucent 1650 SM and 1662 SMC multiservice SDH multiplexers A unied end-to-end management solution with the Alcatel-Lucent 1353 NM, 1354 RM, 1354 BM ETH, 1356 DCN and 1354 SY

24/7 level 3 (support & repair/swap) Maintenance over 15-years Development of the Network Operations Center (NOC) and agents training (350 days) Management, Supervision and Maintenance jointly performed by RTE and Alcatel-Lucent

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Alcatel, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent, the Alcatel-Lucent logo are trademarks of Alcatel-Lucent. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Alcatel-Lucent assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information presented, which is subject to change without notice. Pictures: Mdiathque RTE, Laurent Rothan, Gilles Favier, Yves Soulabaille Design: Art Connexion 25053 Content: Editech. 05/2010 All rights reserved 2010 Alcatel-Lucent.