Endesa : is leading a project to introduce artificial intelligence into control of the grid

Endesa is leading the PASTORA project that seeks to integrate Artificial Intelligence tools to improve real-time control and preventive maintenance of the grid that carries electricity to households. The project will use Big Data technologies and automatic learning techniques based on Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence to use millions of data offered by the new intelligent network, information that will enable developing predictive models of how the network behaves to improve its operation.

The aim of these massive data analysis and automatic learning tools that enable creating predictive models and training them with historic data on the status of the grid which will be stored in real-time, is enabling integration of renewable energies and electric vehicles by means of prediction of the status of the grid and anticipating where incidences may occur to supervise maintenance work and investment at the points where this is most necessary. For example, electrical supply problems are currently detected at one point in the system and after analysing the grid it is determined where and what caused the problem; subsequently, the technical team come out to remedy this. The idea is to create a set of tools that enable predicting incidence before it occurs and adopting measures to avoid it, thereby drastically reducing the time a customer is without service.

Incorporation of intelligent transformers with integrated sensors, tools to process information in real time, thanks to big data and analysis of historic data series to prevent and predict incidences entails a new step in the digitalisation of distribution networks. All these tools will be tested in the PASTORA project in the setting of Endesa's Smartcity Malaga Living Lab and MONICA project's positive results will be used as a basis for monitoring and control of the distribution network in real-time, which has implemented one of the very first phasor measurement devices for the medium and low tension grid globally.

PASTORA, which stands for Preventive Analysis of Smart Grids with Real Time Operation and Renewable Assets Integration seeks out intelligent and innovative solutions for the development of smart grids, new electrical networks of the future and they respond to the needs of the new electrical model with the massive integration of renewable energies, new self-consumption models for the gradual incorporation of the electric car.

PASTORA will be developed by a consortium led by Endesa and comprised by Ayesa Advanced Technologies, Ormazabal Media Tensión, Ingelectus Innovative Electrical Solutions, AICIA (research institution related to the University of Seville) and the University of Granada.

The PASTORA project, with a duration of 31 months, has a total budget of 2.8 million euros which was in part subsidised by the Spanish Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and jointly financed by the European Union with FEDER funds by means of the 'Multiregional Operational Programme in Spain 2014-2020'.