The challenge to the protection fraternity today is that the time is now to develop a new roadmap for that systems-thinking approach in power system development.  Specifically, protection systems will be key to moving vast quantities of power reliably from environmentally clean sources to load centers.

Eskom, the electricity utility in South Africa, hosts the biennial Southern African Power System Protection Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.  The main aims of the conference are: to provide a forum for discussion within the electrical protection industry; to create the opportunity for valuable exchanges of ideas and experience; to enhance the technological knowledge base of attendees; and, to engender enthusiasm and stimulate interest in the subject of power system protection and related disciplines.

The conference was first held in the mid-1980s when a need was recognized to disseminate protection-related information to protection engineers within the utility.  The papers were written and presented primarily by utility personnel.  At that time the conference was not held at regular intervals.  Later on, the conference grew to include contributions from manufacturers, vendors, neighbouring utilities, local municipalities, consulting engineers and academia and it was decided to make the conference a biennial event.  In 2004, the conference duration was extended from 1½ days to 2½ days to accommodate the overwhelming offer of technical papers.  Attendance over the years has been excellent, varying from about 250 to 360 delegates, the latter being the capacity of the current conference venue.  The conference also includes an exhibition by equipment suppliers which provides a valuable opportunity to delegates to see new equipment and hold discussions with technical experts from the companies.

The 2006 conference was held from the 8th to the 10th November and attracted a full audience of 359 registered delegates of which 195 were from Eskom.  Sixteen delegates were female.  There were 46 overseas delegates from 14 different countries.  Thirty papers were presented over the 2½ days.  The papers covered topics on generator, transformer, capacitor bank and feeder protection; substation automation and IEC 61850; synchrophasors and power swing protection; instrument transformers; and, testing & monitoring.

The keynote address entitled "Challenges for technology in supporting power system reliability" was given by Ms Erica Johnson, Senior General Manager in the Transmission Division of Eskom.  The keynote address focused on some of the main challenges facing Eskom.  These include the diminishing generation surplus capacity; ensuring that the people of South Africa have equitable access to electricity at affordable prices; and, the challenge of restructuring the Southern African Power Pool whilst the member utilities are undergoing reforms in their respective countries.  Currently Eskom is projected to spend R 97 billion ($ 14 billion) in South Africa's electricity infrastructure over the next 5 years.  Ms Johnson also described the new thinking trend in Europe and America, namely the "Smartgrid" or "Smart Power System".  The concept generally means developing a customer-centric network enabling all generation options, whether large base-load coal stations or intermittent wind power stations to be integrated into a flexible bulk grid network with advanced system-wide protection schemes to ensure adaptive capacity for extreme conditions.  Ms Johnson's challenge to the protection fraternity today is that the time is now to develop a new roadmap for that systems-thinking approach in power system development.  Specifically, protection systems will be key to moving vast quantities of power reliably from environmentally clean sources to load centres.  Also highlighted was the current shortage of technical skills in South Africa and in many cases good institutional capacity.  

The next Southern African Power Systems Protection Conference will be held in November 2008.

The conference is held at Eskom's Training Center near Johannesburg