Linux Foundation Energy releases SEAPATH version 1.0

Linux Foundation Energy has announced the release of SEAPATH version 1.0, an open source hypervisor for digital substation automation systems (DSAS), marking the first production-ready version tailored to IEC 61850 standards.

SEAPATH, developed to aid in the virtualization and digitalization of electrical substations, combines various open source components to deliver a hardware-agnostic solution. It provides a virtual environment that supports multiple operating systems including Debian and Yocto, enabling dynamic and adaptive automation functions and advanced orchestration at grid nodes and the edge.

The ecosystem around SEAPATH brings together experts from fields such as embedded Linux, IT, DevOps, cybersecurity, and electrical engineering. The project aims to serve both critical and non-critical applications in the power grid industry and has already been tested and deployed by several utilities and vendors.

Key players such as RTE, Alliander, GE Vernova, Savoir-faire Linux, Welotec, and Red Hat have been significant contributors to SEAPATH. The governance of the project is overseen by a Technical Steering Committee comprised of various stakeholders including representatives from these organizations.

SEAPATH has undergone rigorous testing, with over 700 daily tests ensuring the system meets latency, determinism, and robustness criteria. Tested in GE Vernova, Alliander, ABB, Red Hat, and Enedis environments, the system is already implemented in production by RTE with assistance from Savoir-faire Linux, demonstrating its robustness and efficiency in real-world scenarios.

"Digitalizing electrical substations is a key opportunity, and challenge, that will have an enormous impact on improving the efficiency of the grid, and is essential to achieving the objectives of the energy transition," stated Alex Thornton, Executive Director at LF Energy.

Eloi Bail, Chair of the SEAPATH Technical Steering Committee, remarked, "With recent advancements in AI, we are reminded that open source is the key to accelerating innovation while maintaining cost efficiency."

In France, RTE has been implementing SEAPATH for over a year. "Virtual Protection Automation and Control (vPAC) is now a reality at RTE thanks to SEAPATH," Maxime Pelletier from RTE highlighted, referencing the success of the first operating substation.

Welotec has also been actively supporting SEAPATH. "Virtualization platforms are crucial for modern PAC systems," emphasized Jan Hille, of Welotec.

Speaking on the evaluation of SEAPATH by Enedis, Christophe Camelis noted that the organisation is considering it for future PAC systems in primary substations.

David MacDonald from GE Vernova commented on the platform's configurability and interoperability, stating, "In SEAPATH, GE Vernova has found a platform which is highly configurable and easily interoperable."

Moreover, Savoir-faire Linux has played a major role in the project. "As the main contributor to SEAPATH, Savoir-faire Linux is honored to collaborate with leading utilities and technology vendors," said Eloi Bail of Savoir-faire Linux, highlighting their commitment to advancing the project.