The emergence of substation automation in Southern Africa, opportunities, challenges and threats

The adoption of substation automation technology into the developing world following its success in developed countries is now considered irreversible and inevitable. Central to the new substation technology is the IEC standard 61850 which defines the standards for the control of modern power networks. It has taken significant human and financial resources for utilities in Southern Africa to master the art of operating and maintaining current networks. For these utilities, the incorporation of electronics and communications technology in their power networks was challenging enough for some that they resorted to the frequent consultation of overseas experts. Thus, the introduction of the IEC 61850 standard presents them with fresh challenges that they have to deal with. It is with this in mind that, in this paper, we look at the opportunities, challenges, and threats that the newer technology brings to the developing world. We also look at whether the new challenges would require changes to the current university and college curricula for training engineers.