| Company | Ålands Elandelslag (ÅEA) |
| Location | Finland |
| Project Overview | Ålands Elandelslag (ÅEA) operates the electricity distribution network on Kökar, a remote yet inhabited island in the Baltic Sea. The island is supplied through a single connection from the main island, with no backup connections. This project focused on improving grid reliability and enabling proactive maintenance through advanced monitoring and fault detection technologies. Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® (IGS) was deployed to provide continuous monitoring, early fault detection, and precise diagnostics of the electrical network. |
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In the Baltic Sea, Kökar is a remote yet inhabited island in the Åland archipelago, where Ålands Elandelslag (ÅEA) operates the electricity distribution network. The island’s power supply is fed with a single connection from the main island without any backup connections. This means that any fault in the grid impacts directly all island residents, making reliability of supply critically important.
Due to the island’s isolated nature, running maintenance inspections and locating faults can be both time-consuming and challenging; The crews cannot access the island immediately but need to take a boat trip of a few hours. Depending on the weather and time of the year, ice and storms can also prevent quick interventions to the island. Thus, ensuring uninterrupted power supply in such conditions benefits from advanced monitoring capabilities and precise fault locations.
Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® (IGS) has been employed to continuously monitor the island network and detect early signs of developing faults. Using high-frequency sensors and data-driven analytics, the system identified partial discharge (PD) activity within the grid, an early sign of insulation failure.
The system pinpointed a PD hotspot in the island, enabling targeted field investigations. Guided by Safegrid’s data, Ålands Elandelslag’s maintenance crew carried out on-site inspections. Using an acoustic camera on the field, the exact component was identified: a damaged insulator on an overhead line.
Once the faulty insulator was replaced, the detected partial discharges ceased immediately, confirming the root cause had been successfully resolved.
Accurate fault location: Safegrid identified emerging component failure, enabling efficient maintenance operations.
Faster maintenance response: Field teams were able to locate the faulty component using targeted inspections.
Improved reliability for island residents: Eliminating the fault reduced the risk of unexpected outages in a network without backup supply.
Preventive maintenance enabled: The issue was resolved before it escalated into a permanent failure.
Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® (IGS) provided critical visibility into the distribution grid, enabling early detection and precise location of a developing fault.
“By identifying and resolving the issues proactively, we are able to enhance reliability and ensure a more secure power supply for the island’s residents”, says Peter Gull, Grid Manager, Ålands Elandelslag.
Safegrid supports utilities in locating, predicting, and preventing grid faults, helping ensure reliable electricity networks even in the most challenging conditions.