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Detecting Hidden Faults to Improve Grid Reliability

Company	Imatran Seudun Sähkönsiirto
Location	Finland
Timeline	2025
Project Overview	Imatran Seudun Sähkönsiirto implemented Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® to improve fault detection and grid reliability. The solution enabled continuous monitoring and identification of hidden issues behind recurring reclosings, allowing the utility to locate and resolve a fault in a hard-to-access network section before it escalated into a major disruption.
Products	Safegrid Intelligent Grid System®

Featured Image (15)-2 This is a Safegrid Case Study.

Background

Founded in 1928, Imatran Seudun Sähkö has long been a pioneer in Finland’s energy sector. Maintaining a reliable electricity network remains central to its operations, particularly as networks grow more complex.

In modern distribution systems, repeated reclosings—automatic attempts to restore power after a fault—can indicate underlying issues. However, when these events do not escalate into permanent faults, they often go unnoticed, making root cause identification difficult.

Challenge

One of the utility’s outgoing feeders experienced an unusually high number of reclosings. The situation posed several challenges:

Faults were temporary and did not trigger permanent outages
Root cause remained hidden and difficult to identify
Affected cable section included remote island substations
Limited accessibility made inspection time-consuming and complex
Risk of future disruptions if the issue remained unresolved

Traditional monitoring methods lacked the precision needed to detect and locate the underlying issue.

Solution

Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® was deployed to provide continuous monitoring and advanced analytics.

Key capabilities:

Real-time detection of fault indicators and anomalies
Precise fault localization within the network
Data-driven insights to guide field inspections

Implementation outcome:

Safegrid consistently identified the same cable section as the source
The fault was narrowed down to an area with two island-based secondary substations
During winter, when access via frozen lake ice became possible, field crews inspected the site
A faulty disconnector was identified as the root cause of repeated reclosings

Benefits

The Safegrid solution delivered several operational advantages:

Immediate fault localization, reducing diagnostic time
Identification of hidden issues behind temporary faults
Reduced need for extensive and repeated inspections
Improved proactive maintenance capabilities
Enhanced decision-making with data-driven insights

Results

With Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System®, Imatran Seudun Sähkönsiirto achieved:

Accurate and immediate identification of the fault location
Resolution of a hidden issue causing repeated reclosings
Time and cost savings by avoiding prolonged troubleshooting
No need for extended outages during investigation
Improved overall grid reliability and performance

“Thanks to Safegrid’s solution we were able to immediately see the right location of the fault, saving us time and money,”
— Tero Karjola, Business Director, Imatran Seudun Sähkönsiirto

Conclusion

This case demonstrates the importance of detecting and resolving temporary faults that could otherwise remain hidden within the grid. By leveraging Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System®, Imatran Seudun Sähkönsiirto was able to uncover the root cause of repeated reclosings and take corrective action efficiently.

The result is a more reliable and resilient grid, where potential issues are addressed proactively, reducing operational costs, improving service continuity, and strengthening long-term network performance.