Following the completion and scaling of the ZEPAS (Zero Emission Portable Auxiliary Source) project, the operation of this emission-free portable solution for the substation auxiliary services supply was validated. Elewit and Arteche, development partners of this project, joined in a strategic alliance to drive the adoption of this innovative solution in the electricity sector, which represents a significant step towards the energy transition and the improvement in the sustainability of the electricity sector.

Its development is motivated by the need to have new sustainable tools that can fulfill the function of auxiliary services during the initial stages of the substations or their unavailability, since the medium voltage lines that fulfill this function may present delays in their construction or discharges once they are operational.

However, there is now a versatile, portable and easy alternative for this purpose: ZEPAS, a solution that uses a Power Voltage Transforme (PVT) to temporarily power the auxiliary services of the transmission grid substations. This option avoids compromising long-term efficiency and sustainability, as the PVT can be removed when the medium voltage power line is operational. Its main features are:

• Easy to transport, with self-connection capabilities.
• Quick adaptation to other tension levels and to uneven terrain.
• Low-voltage connections with pre-connected solutions.
• Height adjustment.
• Control systems with AC and DC self-powering capability.

The benefits of the ZEPAS system are significant: In addition to considerable economic savings by reducing the costs associated to traditional generators that could be used in the event of unavailability of auxiliary services, it also reduces carbon footprint . Additionally, it increases the safety and reliability of substations, reducing breakdowns and retrofits.

ZEPAS is already operating in the Spanish transmission grid substations proving its technical feasibility and opening up new application possibilities for the future. From powering 5G antennas in remote areas to the rapid recovery of electricity supply in the event of natural disasters, ZEPAS offers innovative solutions to emerging challenges in an electricity sector immersed in decarbonization as part of the ecological transition process.