ERDA to evaluate IEC 61850 conformance for Numerical relay/IEDs
Cyber intrusion attempts and cyber-attacks in any critical sector are carried out with a malicious intent. Any such attempt, if successful, may result in mal-operation of equipment, equipment damages or even in a cascading grid brownout / blackout. The vulnerabilities in the power supply system & network mainly arise out of the possibilities of cyberattacks through malware / Trojans etc. embedded in imported equipment.
Hence, to protect the security, integrity and reliability of the strategically important and critical power supply system & network in the country, Ministry of Power, Government of India, vide order no. 12/34/2020 – T&R, dated December 7, 2022 has mandated that all equipment, components, and parts imported for use in the power supply system and network shall be tested in the country to check for any kind of embedded malware / Trojans / cyber threat and for adherence to Indian standards. All such testing shall be done in certified laboratories that will be designated by the Ministry of Power (MoP).
With reference to the above, ERDA, Vadodara, has undertaken IEC 61850 conformance testing for Numerical Relays and Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED). Proposed testing shall be for executed for leading multinational company for their end customer who is leading transmission company from western part of India and shall help the government initiative to protect the security, integrity and reliability of power supply system & network within the country.
Renowned for its state-of-the-art laboratory equipped with advanced testing tools supplied by DNV-GL (Netherlands), ERDA specializes in comprehensive conformance testing of substation automation communication protocols in compliance with IEC: 61850 – 5 to 10 standards. Accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) under ISO/IEC 17025:2017, and Users Group Quality Assurance Testing Program Procedures as per globally acceptable UCA International Users Group Edition 2 & 1 Server Accreditation, ERDA stands as a leader in protocol testing.
Looking ahead, ERDA is poised to upgrade its facilities to IEC 61850 (Version 2.1) standards, ensuring it continues to meet the evolving needs of the industry and serve the nation with cutting-edge testing capabilities.
