2 min read

Elektrilevi Prevents Critical Grid Failures with Safegrid

Company	Elektrilevi
Location	Estonia
Timeline	2023
Project Overview	Elektrilevi partnered with Safegrid to enhance visibility and reliability across its distribution network. Through a pilot deployment in Tallinn, Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® demonstrated its value by identifying a hidden fault that could have led to a major outage affecting thousands of customers.
Products	Safegrid Intelligent Grid System®

This is a Safegrid Case Study.

Background

Elektrilevi is the largest grid operator in Estonia, serving over 533,000 customers across a network spanning 63,000 km. Ensuring uninterrupted service across such a vast system requires robust monitoring and early fault detection capabilities.

To improve network transparency and detect hidden issues, Elektrilevi initiated a pilot project with Safegrid in Tallinn’s distribution grid.

Challenge

Elektrilevi encountered a complex and potentially dangerous situation:

A cable failure in a double-cable feeder
The second cable continued supplying power, so no outage occurred
The issue remained undetected for several weeks
Existing monitoring systems did not identify the failure
Risk of a critical outage if the second cable had failed

This type of fault is particularly difficult to detect because normal service continues despite a hidden vulnerability in the network.

Solution

Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® provided advanced monitoring and anomaly detection.

Key capabilities:

Continuous analysis of network current behavior
Detection of abnormal changes in feeding currents
Early identification of missing phase conditions

Implementation outcome:

Safegrid detected unusual current patterns and flagged a potential issue
Elektrilevi was alerted to a possible missing phase
Further investigation confirmed a broken cable in the feeder
The fault was quickly repaired and the network restored to normal

Benefits

The Safegrid solution provided significant advantages:

Early detection of hidden faults before escalation
Improved network transparency and visibility
Reduced risk of critical system failure
Faster, data-driven decision-making and response
Enhanced grid reliability and resilience

Results

With Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System®, Elektrilevi achieved:

Prevention of a potentially critical grid failure
Protection of thousands of customers from outage
Identification of a fault undetected by legacy systems
Improved confidence in grid monitoring capabilities

“Thanks to Safegrid system we were able to eliminate a potentially critical failure from our grid which could have escalated to a fault causing an outage to thousands of customers.”
— Taavi Tammeorg, Chief Specialist, Elektrilevi

Conclusion

This case highlights the importance of advanced monitoring in identifying hidden risks within power distribution networks. Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® enabled Elektrilevi to detect a critical fault that conventional systems missed, preventing a potentially widespread outage.

By improving visibility and enabling proactive intervention, Safegrid helps utilities strengthen grid resilience, minimize risk, and ensure reliable service for their customers.