SSC600/SSC600 SW

Centralized & Virtualized Protection

SSC600/SSC600 SW

Centralized and virtualized protection and control

With a centralized protection and control (SSC600) approach, all protection and control functionalities that several individual protection relays offer are centralized into one single device on the substation level for minimal engineering, station-wide visibility and optimal process management. With this approach, a wide variety of utility and industrial applications gain the ability to centrally protect and control the grid from any abnormality from a single device. With the virtualized protection and control option (SSC600 SW), you can order only the software and install it on the hardware of your choice. 


 

 

 

With software based on existing ABB Relion® technology, SSC600 and SSC600 SW are designed for a wide range of power distribution applications – from basic feeder protection and control to complex substation-wide applications.   

Both centralized and virtualized protection and control are based on the IEC 61850 standard for substation automation systems, allowing substation-wide information to be shared and utilized in a comprehensive way. 

ABB supports customers and partners in staying ahead of increasing electrification needs, technology, and regulatory changes, providing the power to adapt to a rapidly evolving energy landscape. 

ABB’s centralized and virtualized protection and control are available for end users, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), panel builders and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPCs) partners to incorporate in their own installations or for use in new, retrofit or upgrade projects. 

Contact us

Centralized vs Virtualized protection and control

SSC600_device
SSC600SWa

Centralized protection and control (SSC600) 

In 2018, ABB introduced this revolutionary approach to centralized protection and control in distribution networks. 

 SSC600 is an all-in-one turnkey solution for centralized protection and control, which is delivered as a tested, complete product, including device (hardware) and embedded software. 

Virtualized protection and control (SSC600 SW)   

In 2023, ABB launched a standalone software option, SSC600 SW, for virtualized protection and control. SSC600 SW is the virtualized version of the SSC600 turnkey device.  

ABB’s virtualized protection and control, SSC600 SW, can be installed on the hardware of our customers’ choice gaining access to the same proven protection and control functionality as with ABB’s turnkey solution, SSC600.  


Configure your centralized and virtualized solution



ABB Relays-Online

Customer benefits

Click the arrows below to learn more about customer benefits.
ABB_picto_centralised

Reduced complexity

30 protection relays functionality centralized into one single device on the substation level. 

ABB_picto_speed_up

Optimized asset management

Up to 15 percent savings in substation life cycle costs. The amount of different hardware variants is reduced to only merging units and a centralized protection device. System upgrades and maintenance become easier and faster with a single device.
ABB_picto_arrows_apart

Future-proof and flexible

According to international standards, such as IEC 61850. Updating and modifying the centralized protection and control system to new requirements is easily done adding new application packages. 

Learn more

SSC600/SSC600SW

Related offering

Primary distribution
Secondary distribution
Air-insulated switchgear
service-retrofit-vd4-uniair400x200
Secondary vacuum circuit breakers
Primary Protection Relays
Primary protection relays
Sec protection relaysGC
Secondary protection relays

FAQ

1. What is centralized protection and control? 
With a centralized protection and control (SSC600) approach, all protection and control functionalities that several individual protection relays offer are centralized into one single device on the substation level for minimal engineering, station-wide visibility and optimal process management. With this approach, a wide variety of utility and industrial applications gain the ability to centrally protect and control the grid from any abnormality from a single device.  
2. What is the difference between SS600 and SSC600 SW?  
SSC600 is a turnkey centralized protection and control product, which is delivered as a tested, complete product, including device and embedded software. SSC600 SW is a virtualized protection and control product, which is delivered as a pure software package, without any hardware. Functionalities, features and performance (including protection) are the same in both SSC600 and SSC600 SW. 
3. Is the engineering of SSC600 more complex compared to a conventional protection and control relay?  
Engineering SSC600 requires less effort compared to separately engineering 30 interconnected bay devices. Powerful templating functionalities in PCM600 allows for fast engineering of the complete SSC600 centralized protection system. 
4. What kind of software is needed to take SSC600 SW into use?  
SSC600 SW is delivered as a Virtual Machine. It can be used in either VMWare ESXi or KVM. The SSC600 Installation Manual provides the guidelines on how to configure a virtualization environment to enable the real-time functionality of SSC600 SW. The SSC600 Installation Manual can be found in the Technical Documentation Portal of ABB Relays-Online.  
5. What kind of computer do I need to run SSC600 SW? 
SSC600 SW needs appropriate computing resources to enable real-time protection and control functionality. Minimum requirements for the computer, and some example configurations, are documented in the SSC600 Engineering Manual, which can be found in the Technical Documentation Portal of ABB Relays-Online 
6. What kind of equipment is needed to build a working centralized protection system? 
Technologies used in centralized protection and control system needs to have the needed performance to enable real-time functionality. This means that the Ethernet switches and time synchronization devices need to be capable to operate with the needed performance. These requirements are the same as in any process bus application when using sampled values. Guidance documentation for equipment selection can be found in the Knowledge warehouse of ABB Relays-Online. 
7. Does SSC600 work with any protection relay or just the SMU615 merging unit? 
SSC600 is based on international standards, such as IEC 61850. Any protection relay that is capable of sending measurements according to IEC 61850 9-2LE or IEC 61869-9, and receiving control commands via IEC 61850 GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Substation Event) messaging, is suitable as merging unit. 
8. How is the SSC600 system tested? 
Commissioning and testing before energizing the substation is done as with conventional relays. The secondary injection is just done to the merging units. There are also digital testing devices, which can inject digitized measurements, if needed. Periodical testing can also be done as before, as long as it has been prepared in the SSC600 application during the engineering phase. 
9. What if the SSC600 device breaks? Will I lose protection of the whole substation? 
SSC600 is a robust industrial device with redundant power supply and no moving parts. SSC600 has the same lifecycle policies as our protection relays. There are multiple different redundancy solutions available, such as duplicating SSC600 units or including backup protection in the merging units. 
10. Where in the switchgear do I install SSC600? 
SSC600 fulfills the same environmental standards as ABB’s protection relays – which means it can be installed in the low-voltage compartment. However, as SSC600 is for the whole substation, it often makes sense to install the device in a separate rack, for example together with the gateway and Ethernet switches 
11. How does ABB’s SSC600 compare to other centralized protection and control solutions? 
ABB’s SSC600 is based on international standards, which means different parts of the system are interchangeable. The protection functionality, product quality, testing, and processes according to the highest standards. Full lifecycle management is guaranteed by ABB. 
12. Is centralized protection with SSC600/SSC600 SW less expensive than conventional protection and control relays? 
The initial acquisition price for a greenfield installation is within the same price range as conventional protection and control relays. Taking into account redundant protection, new functionalities, and lifecycle costs, SSC600 is less expensive. The total cost of ownership is estimated to be 15% less for SSC600, compared to a similar system with conventional protection and control relays. Centralized protection and control is an investment for the future.  
13. Can SSC600 handle multiple small substations?  
In many cases, yes. The distance between the protected objects and the SSC600 device is not decisive. However, if the distance between SSC600 and the merging unit is long, it must be secured that the communication channel is good enough for sampled value streams.  
14. Can you connect SSC600 directly to the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system? 
SSC600 supports IEC 61850 MMS, IEC 60870-5-104 and DNP3. If the SCADA system supports these protocols, SSC600 can be directly connected to it just as any other protection relay. 

Didn't you find what you're looking for?

contact
Contact form

Have a question or need assistance?
Submit your inquiry and we will contact you promptly.

Contact Us
ABB Connect Partner Hub

The new point of reference for professionals in the electrical world to grow their businesses.

Discover ABB Connect
Select region / language