29.10.2024Power grids are extensive and very complex systems, consisting of a large number of interconnected elements, including power plants, transmission lines, substations and distribution networks. Resources intended for protection are always limited and therefore it is impossible to protect every element of the system against all possible threats. Scientists from the “AI for Security” research team at IDEAS NCBR, a Polish research and development center in the field of artificial intelligence, in cooperation with partners, are developing the R-GRID application – a prototype of a power grid simulator, based on AI technology and allowing for the optimization of protection resources.
The R-GRID application also allows to determine which places in the power grid are particularly vulnerable to damage or attack, and then plan the optimal development of the power grid in order to strengthen its resilience and stability of its operation. The tool is being created as part of the R-GRID project established by a consortium of institutions from Poland, Finland and Ukraine under the NATO Science for Peace and Security (NATO SPS) program.
‘In the protection of facilities and infrastructure of particular importance to society, we never have enough resources to secure these facilities against all probable threats. A balance must be found between the costs incurred for their protection and the expected level of security. It turns out that modern optimization methods, supported by artificial intelligence and game theory methods, allow for a significant increase in the effectiveness of protection, and this within the framework of already available resources, i.e. without engaging additional significant financial expenses,’ says Tomasz Michalak, PhD DSc, leader of the “AI for security” research team at IDEAS NCBR, co-director of the R-GRID project.
‘The R-GRID simulator allows, among other things, to predict what threats the power grid will be exposed to in the event of a hybrid attack. The tool developed as part of the R-GRID project allows for the analysis of complex attack scenarios in which multiple failures or damages occur. It also helps in modeling potential improvements in the existing grid,’ says Maciej Kluczyński, president of the Polish Association for National Security, NATO country Project Director.
The participants of the R-GRID consortium are the Polish Association for National Security, the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, IDEAS NCBR and Laurea University of Applied Sciences from Finland. You can read more on the project website r-grid.eu.
