How Netcon 200 and Netcon 2 address the evolving challenges in the Nordic grid

The energy transition is rapidly reshaping the power distribution landscape in the Nordics. Distribution System Operators (DSOs) face a multi-layered set of challenges: integrating decentralized renewable generation, maintaining grid stability amid electrification and variable loads, and complying with ever-tightening cybersecurity and regulatory standards. This shift is not theoretical, it is real, happening now, and accelerating.

As a Nordic technology leader, Netcontrol provides solutions that don’t just react to these changes, they anticipate them. The Netcon 200 and Netcon 2 are purpose-built to help utilities manage increasing grid complexity, improve reliability, and meet the digital and regulatory demands of the decade ahead.

The shifting grid: New demands & new risks

The traditional grid model, centralized generation flowing predictably to consumers, is obsolete. Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), electric vehicles, energy communities, and prosumers are turning the grid into a dynamic, bidirectional system. For DSOs, this requires a paradigm shift in how the grid is monitored, protected, and controlled.

At the same time, regulations like the EU’s NIS2 directive and national implementations of ENISA’s cybersecurity guidelines are setting stricter requirements for operational visibility, secure communication, and access control. Network automation is no longer a luxury, it’s essential.

The modern grid needs to be:

• Visible in real time
• Controllable from anywhere
• Self-healing in fault scenarios
• Secure by design
• Compliant with evolving regulation

Netcon 200: More than an RTU — An intelligent substation brain

Netcon 200 is Netcontrol’s advanced Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) and automation controller designed specifically for medium-voltage secondary substations. It enables DSOs to build smarter, more resilient grids without overhauling their existing infrastructure.

Key features:

• Comprehensive fault detection
  • Detects earth faults, overcurrent, and transient events using voltage and current measurements, with the capability to identify earth faults based solely on currents.
• Integrated feeder protection
  • Offers licensed and configurable protection functionality for up to three feeder bays, reducing the need for external relays.
• Real-time monitoring
  • Supports multi-point and 0.1% accurate measurements (voltage, current, power, harmonics) for fault diagnostics and load analysis.
• Remote configuration and updates
  • Managed via Netcon Application Manager, enabling centralized lifecycle management.
• Built-in cybersecurity
  • Supports VPNs, firewalls, port hardening, encrypted protocols (e.g., TLS, SSH), and role-based access control in line with NIS2 readiness.
• Modular and scalable
  • Designed for both new and retrofit installations; flexible I/O and communication interfaces support over 50 protocols.

This is not just a box that reacts to commands. Netcon 200 makes substations smart, ready for automation, diagnostics, and compliance.

Netcon 2: Distributed intelligence for the edge of the grid

Where Netcon 200 acts as the brain of the substation, Netcon 2 extends that intelligence to the field. It is a compact, motor-operated actuator designed to control load break switches and disconnectors directly on overhead lines.

Key features:

• Field-proven resilience
  • Operates reliably between -40 and +65°C; weather-hardened for Nordic environments.
• Autonomous operation
  • Local batteries and a smart charger provide several days of autonomy in the event of a power outage, along with real-time battery condition monitoring.
• Position feedback & locking
  • Mechanically indicates switch status and includes integrated locking mechanisms for safety.
• Seamless integration with Netcon 200
  • Enables selective fault isolation (also with current-only sensors), automatic restoration, and remote switching, key components of a self-healing grid.
• Flexible communications
  • Supports Ethernet, GPRS, 4G/5G, radio, and serial links.
• Together, Netcon 2 and Netcon 200 enable utilities to segment and automate their networks intelligently, allowing them to react faster to faults and improve overall SAIDI/SAIFI performance.

Meeting regulatory and operational demands head-on

In the face of NIS2 and similar national legislation, utilities are expected to:

• Secure all communications and field devices
• Monitor asset status in real time
• Log events and user actions centrally
• Ensure software update management
• Provide rapid response in case of cyber or physical events

Netcon 200 and Netcon 2 are designed from the ground up with these requirements in mind. Our systems support secure boot, encrypted firmware updates, VPN tunneling, and protocol-agnostic integration into any modern SCADA or DMS.

Furthermore, our Netcon Application Manager offers a unified platform for secure deployment, patching, and lifecycle monitoring of all connected devices, no matter how remote.

Looking ahead: Building a grid for the 2030s, today

The evolution of Nordic power grids is accelerating:

• Electrification of transport and heating is increasing base load and peak demand
• Prosumers and energy communities are shifting consumption patterns
• Intermittent renewables are destabilizing traditional balancing mechanisms
• Cyber and physical threats are merging into hybrid risks

In this environment, the edge of the grid must become as intelligent and secure as the control center. Netcontrol’s product ecosystem, anchored by Netcon 200 and Netcon 2, enables just that. Our technology transforms substations and field devices into nodes of real-time, autonomous decision-making, seamlessly integrated into central operations.

This is not just a technical upgrade. It’s the digital foundation for a resilient, automated, and future-compliant Nordic grid.

Author

Roman Jaloza is a Product Manager at Netcontrol. He joined the company in 2024 and has worked in R&D and sales in the global network automation business since 2010.