Northeast Lapland Electricity chose Save LAN's LANGW products

Koillis-Lapin sähkö supplies electricity in the Kemijärvi, Salla, Pelkosenniemi and Savukoski areas. The company has around 12 500 customers and a network length of over 3 500 km. The long distances involved make electricity supply in the region challenging.

The company is responsible for the security of electricity supply. Quality electricity supply keeps customers happy and the power on.

Challenges and objectives

Northeast Lapland Electricity was facing a replacement of its equipment, as the Netcontrol GWserver products they had been using were reaching the end of their useful life. This situation required a planned approach to tendering for equipment and services.

The tendering process allowed us to compare the offers of several different manufacturers, which helped us to find the best solution for the organisation's needs. In addition to technical features, the factors influencing the selection of a new fleet of equipment can include product reliability, ease of maintenance, scalability and security requirements.

It is also important for the electricity network company to ensure that new equipment and services are compatible with existing systems and that their integration is smooth without significant outages or disruptions. This requires careful planning and testing before new solutions are deployed.

The final decision on the replacement and selection of equipment is usually taken after an internal evaluation and tendering process within the organisation, taking into account economic, technological and operational aspects. The aim is to ensure that the electricity network will continue to operate reliably and efficiently in the future.

Save LAN solution

The LANGW solution provided by Save LAN was designed to meet the electricity needs of Northeast Lapland, especially in replacing the old GWServer servers. This migration was an essential part of the power grid development, as it allowed for a reliable and secure integration of the operational technology OT network with the SCADA system.

LANGW products enable the OT network to be connected to the SCADA system so that the communication is both efficient and secure. This integration is essential as the SCADA system monitors and controls the operations of the power grid and must operate reliably under a variety of conditions. The OT network is based on a private, dynamically routed IP network covering the entire distribution area. This network design allows for flexible and scalable data transmission, which is vital in large areas. Dynamic routing helps to optimise network performance and minimise data transmission delays.

LANGW products are designed to provide high reliability, which means that the equipment can operate reliably and continuously without significant downtime. This is particularly important in power grids where high reliability is required. Interruptions can cause major problems for customers and for the operation of the network as a whole.

Save LAN solutions also emphasised the need for high security. This includes advanced user management solutions that restrict access to authorised users only. Improving security is key to preventing cyber threats and attacks. Encryption of communications and user authentication are examples of security measures used to ensure that the system is protected.

Project implementation

In connection with the replacement of the electricity equipment in Northeast Lapland, Save LAN provided LANGW products to replace the old GWServer servers. This migration was an essential step as it allowed the operational technology (OT) network to be reliably and securely connected to the SCADA system. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is a key system in power grids that monitors and controls infrastructure operations.

The delivery included two LANGW servers. In addition, network connections were extended by switches. These servers provided a fault tolerant and geographically distributed solution for the network interfaces.

Modern risk management in LANGW products emphasises preparedness, so servers are backed up automatically. Backups are always moved to a different location, so they are available even in the event of a physical risk, such as a hardware failure or fire.

Save LAN's LANGW products combined high reliability with stringent security, which was an essential part of the implementation. This meant that LANGW devices were designed to operate reliably in a variety of environments, ensuring continuous availability and minimising potential disruption. High quality reliability is particularly important in the management of electricity networks, where even small outages can cause significant problems.

In terms of user management, the solution was built with a very high level of security in mind. This meant that access to systems and data was restricted to authorised users only, which in turn protected the management of the electricity network from cyber threats. Outside users had access to a restricted environment (chroot). In this environment, only a limited range of applications are available.

"Save LAN's solutions are innovative, Lauri is always actively looking for a solution to the customer's problem - the service is flexible and the customer is not pushed around "

JUKKA OJALA
Network Manager

Results from

It can be concluded that Save LAN's LANGW products provided a first-class solution to the electricity needs of Northeast Lapland, by enabling a reliable and secure connection of the OT network to the SCADA system. With this project, the operational reliability and security of the power grid was raised to a new level, which is crucial in today's power grid infrastructure where cyber security and operational reliability are key. This new equipment can also support future developments and innovations in electricity grid services, improving customer satisfaction and service quality.

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Lauri Jurvanen Production Network Consultant Save LAN