Case Study: Georgian State Electrosystem achieves blackout prevention with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories emergency control and RAS solutions

Georgian State Electrosystem prevents blackouts in 12 ms with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE), the national power utility of Georgia, faced a severe challenge with continual country-wide blackouts caused by an aging and unstable grid following the collapse of the Soviet interconnected system. These blackouts, sometimes occurring 14 times a year, posed a significant financial and national security burden. GSE engaged Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) to provide an emergency control system capable of detecting faults and shedding load in under 100 milliseconds to prevent cascading failures.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories designed and installed a rapid emergency control system, which was later enhanced with a centralized Remedial Action Scheme (RAS) and a high-speed SEL ICON communications network. The solution was successfully live-tested by intentionally tripping a critical 500 kV line, and the system operated in just 12 ms to prevent a blackout. As a result, GSE has seen no further country-wide blackouts, achieved ISO 9001 certification, and gained the capability to transfer energy internationally, marking a new era of reliability for Georgia's power grid.

Georgian State Electrosystem