Accelerating Digital Substation Development in the Philippines with IEC 61850 GOOSE

Utilities around the world are pursuing digital substation architectures to improve scalability and reduce engineering complexity. In the Philippines, Davao Light, an AboitizPower distribution utility, has recently implemented IEC 61850 GOOSE communications with NOJA Power reclosers as part of its digital substation initiatives, marking one of the first documented IEC 61850 GOOSE deployments on NOJA Power reclosers in the Philippines. The deployment has contributed to reduced wiring requirements and accelerated the energisation of newly commissioned substations.

A key enabler of modern digital substations is the IEC 61850 communication standard. Rather than relying on extensive hard-wired connections for control, alarm and status signals, IEC 61850 enables intelligent electronic devices to communicate over an Ethernet network. Through GOOSE messaging, critical information can be exchanged rapidly between devices, helping utilities simplify engineering, reduce wiring complexity and create flexible architectures that are easier to expand in the future.

This approach has been adopted by Davao Light as part of its ongoing network modernisation and expansion program in Davao del Norte. Supporting this initiative, NOJA Power OSM Reclosers equipped with IEC 61850 GOOSE communications have been deployed across the utility's network. Following recent enhancements to its IEC 61850 GOOSE performance to achieve standards-compliant operation, NOJA Power worked closely with Davao Light's engineering team to support implementation and system integration. The collaboration contributed to the successful commissioning and energisation of both the Caliclic Substation in the Island Garden City of Samal and the San Pedro Substation in Panabo City.

The implementation of IEC 61850 GOOSE communications on NOJA Power reclosers reduced wiring requirements for control, alarm and status signals from feeder reclosers. By simplifying signal integration within the substation environment, the utility was able to accelerate the energisation and commissioning of both the Caliclic and San Pedro substations as part of its ongoing digital substation program.

Richard T. Regidor, Supervisor, Network Protection and Reliability Section at Davao Light, said:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the NOJA Power team for their continuous support in implementing IEC 61850 GOOSE in our NOJA reclosers as part of our digital substation efforts. We were able to expedite the energisation and successfully inaugurated two substations.”

Building on a long-standing relationship, Davao Light and NOJA Power have collaborated for many years to support the utility's distribution network development and modernisation initiatives. Through the widespread deployment of NOJA Power reclosers across the network, engineers from planning, commissioning and system operations teams have gained extensive experience with the equipment in both field and substation applications.

Engr. Michael Lance Miñoza, Technical Staff, Distribution Network Department, commented:

“Among the recloser brands I have used and commissioned, NOJA Power Reclosers are by far the easiest to program and install. Troubleshooting is straightforward, and the collected data is easy to interpret. Furthermore, the CMS software is so intuitive that I can train someone on basic settings configuration in less than an hour. The customer service is also fast, reliable, and exceptional. ”

Engr. Jecker James Cafe, Junior System Operations Engineer, System Operations Department, added:

“What we appreciate most about the NOJA reclosers is the user-friendly interface of the control box, which is exceptionally helpful when guiding field crews remotely. Additionally, the application is very intuitive, as all necessary operational controls for us System Operations Engineers (SOEs) are conveniently consolidated onto a single display.”

With more than 90 NOJA Power OSM Reclosers deployed across the Davao Light network, the partnership continues to support the utility's modernisation objectives. As the San Pedro Substation progresses towards a fully digital substation featuring automated monitoring and real-time data transmission, IEC 61850 GOOSE communications will continue to provide the foundation for reliable, scalable and future-ready network operations

For more information about NOJA Power's OSM Recloser range and IEC 61850 GOOSE capabilities, visit www.nojapower.com.au.