Just 10 years ago, power outages were longer - the electricity network company monitors the network 24/7 at the operations center

At Caruna's operations center, operators monitor the electricity network around the clock. The center has dozens of screens that display the situational picture of the electricity network, video footage from substations, and weather forecasts from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Everything that happens in Caruna's electricity network goes through the operations center.

Caruna operator Velimatti Hahl explains that the majority of the operator's work involves managing connections and investigating faults. The most important thing is to ensure the safety of the electricity network at all times.

"For example, we ensure that the electricity network is de-energized and safe to work on in the faulty area before giving permission to the technicians to start repairing the fault," Hahl says.

In a year, an operator handles over a hundred faults in the medium-voltage network

For example, during a storm, if a branch hits an overhead line and the current goes to the wrong place, the power is automatically cut off from that part of the electricity network. After a moment, the system tries to restore the power. If the fault has not been resolved, the operator takes control and tries to restore the power remotely to as many customers as possible. After that, technicians are alerted to locate and repair the fault in the field.

At Caruna, each operator handles an average of over a hundred faults in the medium-voltage network per year. Typically, natural phenomena such as storm winds cause faults. In winter, heavy snow causes trees to bend under the weight onto overhead lines, and in summer, thunderstorms can cause damage to the electricity network.

In addition, about 4,000 planned tasks are carried out in the medium-voltage network annually. These include, for example, maintenance work that is known in advance. Customers are sent a text message if the work will cause a power outage.

Just ten years ago, most of the faults were caused by fallen trees on the lines, and the power outages experienced by customers were longer in duration. Nowadays, Caruna's electricity network is mostly underground, so there are fewer faults as well.

When the Finnish Meteorological Institute predicts a storm, Caruna's major disturbance management team makes a decision on preparedness. This means increasing the number of operators at the operations center and the number of technicians in the field.

"First, we repair the faults that affect critical customers or have an impact on a larger number of customers. From our systems, we immediately see if there are critical facilities, such as hospitals, in the fault area, and they are prioritized," Hahl explains.

Sometimes, the conditions make it difficult to carry out the repairs. During strong winds, trees are not cleared from the power lines, and during thunderstorms, technicians do not climb the electricity poles. In a storm situation, one operator can have several faults to handle simultaneously and lead at least as many work teams.

The operations centre collaborates with the rescue department

Hahl has been working at Caruna for fourteen years, nearly ten of which have been at the operations centre. The operations centre is an isolated place with its own rules for entry. The work is shift-based, and remote work is not done. In storm situations, the ability to handle pressure is necessary.

The Boxing Day storm from 2011 Hahl still remembers.

"The network was in much worse condition than it is today, and repairs took a long time. There were many faults as trees fell on the lines non-stop. That's when I learned how important it is to meet customers with empathy. The distress was great, but when things were explained, many understood. Today, customer communication during power outages has developed tremendously. We send a couple of million text messages to customers every year," Hahl says.

The operations center collaborates with the fire department. If, for example, a traffic accident occurs involving electricity poles, the fire department starts their work only after the electrician has ensured that the location is de-energized and has grounded the emergency work site.

One must always be prepared for surprises. Hahl tells a story where a cat had climbed up an electricity pole and couldn't get down by itself. The operations center cut off the power, and a technician rescued the cat from the pole.

"Nature and animals are constantly present in this work, and anything can happen at any time. That's why we monitor the electricity network 24/7," Hahl says." 

The text has been translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence.