Testing Cyber-Physical Resiliency on a Microgrid

The company

VEBIC (Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Center) is a multidisciplinary research platform at the University of Vaasa, Finland. It serves as a hub for knowledge exchange between research and business communities to address global energy needs. The FREESI laboratory (Future, Reliable, Electricity and Energy Systems Integration) within VEBIC focuses on the grid integration of inverter-based DERs and power system protection, operating within the Technobothnia joint laboratory.

The challenges

• Increased Cyber Vulnerabilities: The growing connectivity of microgrids to manage Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) exposes them to frequent cyberattacks, which doubled globally between 2020 and 2022.
• Severe Operational Risks: Threats like false data injection, denial-of-service (DoS), and malicious commands can cause power outages, equipment damage, and frequency/voltage instability.
• Complex Multi-Vendor Environments: Validating the interoperability and security of devices from various vendors (ABB, Siemens, Schneider, etc.) under the IEC 61850 standard requires a highly flexible testing environment.
• Safe Validation Needs: Testing cyber-defenses on live power systems is too risky; researchers need a cost-effective way to evaluate “what-if” scenarios without affecting the actual grid.

The OPAL-RT solution

VEBIC established a groundbreaking security lab—the first of its kind in Northern Europe—using a co-simulation approach:

• Power System Simulation: OPAL-RT’s HYPERSIM platform provides high-fidelity, real-time simulation of the physical power grid and its dynamics.
• Cyber-Physical Emulation: EXata CPS (from Keysight) is integrated to simulate the communication network layer, including a library of cyber-attacks and defenses.
• HIL & SIL Testing: The lab utilizes both Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) to develop and validate AI-enabled algorithms for microgrid controllers.
• IEC 61850 Multi-Vendor Setup: A distinctive environment featuring Protection, Automation, and Communication (PAC) equipment from multiple industry leaders to test seamless device integration and security.

The results

The integrated simulation platform allowed VEBIC to successfully analyze the impact of cyberattacks on microgrid stability:

• Scenario Validation: Successfully simulated “one-second delay” attacks during islanding and “Man-in-the-Middle” packet modifications, identifying specific declines in power quality and voltage oscillations.
• Resilient Controller Development: Enabled the testing of detection and mitigation strategies for microgrid central controllers (MGCC) before physical deployment.
• Cross-Border Collaboration: The lab supports the Aurora program, a collaborative project with Lule University of Technology to enhance CPS security across the energy sector.
• Educational Hub: Serves as an invaluable resource for training the next generation of engineers in Cyber-Physical Simulation (CPS) of energy systems.

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