CANopen in underground power cable monitoring
Source: CAN Newsletter March 2008
The Estlink connection links the power grids in the Nordic and Baltic states and is jointly owned by Finnish and Baltic power companies. With the cross-border power supply line running through the depths of the Baltic Sea, the EU aims to minimize the risk of blackouts. With a capacity of 350 MW, the underground link safeguards against potential power shortages in the Scandinavian region and is intended to prevent massive power grid failures previously experienced in America and also in Europe.
The underground power cable is monitored with the aid of CANopen communication. HVDC (high voltage DC) is a power transmission technology invented by ABB. The company has installed more than half of the HVDC systems in the world, transmitting 44 000 MW of power in more than 50 projects.The Estlink cable consists of both a submarine and an underground cable. In total, 210 km of cable was manufactured for the construction of the power connection between Estonia and Finland, of which the submarine cable constitutes 148 km and the underground cable 62 km. The primary purpose of the Estlink cable is to supply the Nordic electricity market with electricity produced in the Baltic States. An estimated 2 TWh of electricity will be transported annually via the cable.
