SEAPATH is a security-hardened, real-time hypervisor for digital substation virtualized protection and control applications that has already been deployed in production
SAN FRANCISCO – February 5, 2025 – LF Energy, the open source foundation focused on harnessing the power of collaborative software and hardware technologies to accelerate the energy transition, has released version 1.0 of LF Energy SEAPATH, an open source software hypervisor designed for IEC 61850 Digital Substation Automation Systems. Version 1.0 is the first fully production ready version of SEAPATH, merging the two prior branches of the software into one and providing support for multiple operating systems including Debian and Yocto.
SEAPATH is an ecosystem of open source digital substations technologies for both software and hardware to host and run vPAC (Virtualized Protection, Automation and Control) applications for the power grid industry. It is a collaborative project at the convergence of IT/OT, bringing together a diverse community of experts spanning embedded Linux, IT, DevOps, cybersecurity, and electrical engineering.
SEAPATH is a best-of-breed technology that combines mature, existing open source components to create a robust, hardware- and software-agnostic solution that meets deterministic performance expectations (real-time) of its use cases. The primary use case is to provide complex, dynamic, and adaptive automation functions at grid nodes and edge, as well as enhanced orchestration from central systems, in a flexible and scalable manner. It provides a virtualized environment for future-proof PACS (Protection, Automation and Control Systems) for primary and secondary substations.
The project has been developed according to cybersecurity best practices, and utilizes state-of-the-art continuous integration with over 700 daily tests to ensure, for example, that a virtual intelligence electronic device (vIED) meets the desired criteria in terms of latency, determinism, and robustness. It is viable in both critical and non-critical applications.
The primary contributing organizations to SEAPATH are RTE, Alliander, GE Vernova, Savoir-faire Linux, Welotec, and Red Hat. The Technical Steering Committee that oversees the governance of the project is made up of representatives of GE Vernova, RTE, Savoir-faire Linux, Schneider Electric, and Welotec. The mix of electrical utilities, vendors, service providers, and hardware providers contributing to the project ensures a reliable open source code base that is supported by a growing ecosystem of commercial and support offerings.
SEAPATH has already been deployed both in test environments by GE Vernova, Alliander, ABB, Red Hat, Enedis, and others, as well as in production by RTE with the support of Savoir-faire Linux. These deployments have provided tremendous value in terms of improved substation performance, and demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the solution. With the release of version 1.0, it is expected that more production deployments will occur in the near future.
“Digitalizing electrical substations is a key opportunity, and challenge, that will have an enormous impact on improving the efficiency of the grid, and is essential to achieving the objectives of the energy transition,” said LF Energy Executive Director Alex Thornton. “The SEAPATH community has built an incredible solution that not only addresses many of the challenges with substation virtualization, but provides a framework on which to build future innovations in this area.”
“With recent advancements in AI, we are reminded that open source is the key to accelerating innovation while maintaining cost efficiency,” said SEAPATH Technical Steering Committee (TSC) Chair Eloi Bail. “This principle is at the heart of LF Energy, and SEAPATH exemplifies this approach for digital substations. As TSC Chair, I am proud to have fostered a diverse ecosystem of contributors, ensuring the project's continuous development and long-term viability. I invite all interested stakeholders to join us in shaping the future of virtualized protection, automation, and control for the power grid.”
Supporting Quotes
"Virtual Protection Automation and Control (vPAC) is now a reality at RTE thanks to SEAPATH. In France, the first substation has been operating perfectly for over a year with several functions virtualized under SEAPATH. Given these results, RTE is deploying new substations and expanding the scope of virtualized functions. RTE is convinced that SEAPATH is the solution of the future, enabling TSOs/DSOs to fully realize the promises of virtualization: flexibility, cost efficiency, and mastery of their PAC System.” - Maxime Pelletier, RTE
“Virtualization platforms are crucial for modern PAC systems. That's why Welotec actively supports the open source SEAPATH project under neutral governance. We're collaborating with utilities and industry partners to optimize SEAPATH on our IEC 61580-3 Substation Servers, integrating it seamlessly with PAC applications. The 1.0 release of SEAPATH marks a significant milestone for the industry and the digitalization of substations." - Jan Hille, Welotec
“Enedis, the French DSO, is evaluating SEAPATH as a candidate to provide the virtualized environment for its future PACS (Protection, Automation and Control Systems) for primary substations.” - Christophe Camelis, Enedis
“Virtualized Protection and Control (VPAC) can industrialize processes throughout the entire lifecycle and facilitate the deployment of grid strengthening, edge-based automation applications. In SEAPATH, GE Vernova has found a platform which is highly configurable and easily interoperable so that we can tailor a high performance VPAC package for a wide range of customers. GE Vernova has been working to optimize the LF Energy SEAPATH platform to virtualize PAC, and our deployed prototypes confirm it has the capability to meet challenging real-time requirements.” - David MacDonald, GE Vernova
“As the main contributor to SEAPATH, Savoir-faire Linux is honored to collaborate with leading utilities and technology vendors to bring this critical technology to life. Open collaboration is essential, and having experienced open source engineering teams like Savoir-faire Linux involved ensures that SEAPATH continues to evolve with strong foundations in stability, security, and long-term viability. We remain committed to advancing SEAPATH while providing professional support to organizations adopting and scaling this solution alongside all stakeholders involved." - Eloi Bail, Savoir-faire Linux
“Schneider Electric has been working on various Proofs of Concept for virtualization for many years, exploring different platforms and technologies. To facilitate the deployment of virtualized devices, it is crucial to have an approved architecture that ensures performance and interoperability commitments from device vendors. This is also a first step towards a future Software-Defined Architecture, using a platform that keeps pace with the rapid evolution of technologies.” – Arnaud Cantin, Schneider Electric
LF Energy Resources
About LF Energy
A first-of-its-kind initiative, LF Energy provides a 21st century plan of action to solve climate change through open frameworks, reference architectures and a support ecosystem of complementary projects. Strategic Members include Alliander, Google, Microsoft, RTE and Shell, in addition to over 60 General and Associate Members from across the energy industry, technology, academia, and government. Find further information here: https://www.lfenergy.org.
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LF Energy