Spain's REE taps Nokia to upgrade existing communications network

Nokia said today it will provide Spanish transmission system operator, Red Electrica de Espana (REE), with an IP/MPLS network and DWDM (Dense Wave-Division Multiplexing) optical transport network to upgrade the Spanish power grid operator's existing network and help it improve efficiency, extend broadband services and enable distributed renewable power.

Commenting on this partnership, Patrick Langelaan, Head of Enterprise in Southern Europe at Nokia, said, "Our work with European transmission system operators enables us to ensure that REE's network will interwork seamlessly with continental systems, a key capability in the shift to renewables and our ability to manage intermittency across the region. This win reflects Nokia's ongoing commitment to the energy sector and our collective journey to a de-carbonized, electrified future."

REE is responsible for the transmission of electricity nationwide, including the Canary and Balearic Islands. The operator's 800-site network is used to control and manage a nationwide transmission grid in Spain.

Nokia's new IP/MPLS and optical transport network will provide significantly more bandwidth to improve efficiencies and support a new generation of IP-based applications. The modernized network will support services including sub-station communications, low-latency communication of IoT sensor data for measurement, protection and control, and time synchronization of devices.

In addition, the Nokia network will also support operational control systems such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and line protection, as well as synchrophasors (PMUs - phasor measurement units), one of the key applications for enabling highly accurate and dynamic analysis of the state of an electrical system.

The optical transport network will leverage Nokia's DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing) portfolio, providing plenty of room for growth with capacities up to 100Gb/s. Nokia's Network Services Platform will support the network operations.

"REE is a key player in the energy transition and the challenges we face are clear, and we must be able to anticipate them, so we need to have the best tools with which to carry out our mission with the highest possible quality, safety and efficiency," said Manuel Lopez Cormenzana, Director of Transmission Infrastructure Maintenance at REE.