C&P validation services

Control, protection and system validation services for HVDC, MVDC and hybrid AC/DC networks

As power systems become increasingly driven by power electronics, validating individual components is no longer sufficient. Increasingly, success depends on ensuring that converters, controllers, protection systems, communication interfaces and SCADA platforms work together as one reliable system. 

SuperGrid Institute supports equipment manufacturers, TSOs, utilities, renewable developers and system integrators in developing, integrating and validating critical control and protection functions before commissioning. More than a testing provider, we combine expertise in power systems, HVDC and MVDC controls, protection engineering and network operation to help customers identify risks, understand system behaviour and validate critical functions before deployment. 

Why working with us

  • Identify interoperability issues before FAT and commissioning 

  • Validate controller, protection and communication-system interactions 

  • Reduce integration risks in multi-vendor environments 

  • Secure software updates and system evolutions 

  • Accelerate project delivery 

  • Access experts in HVDC, MVDC and hybrid AC/DC system engineering 

  • Benefit from independent system-level analysis beyond equipment testing 

Many projects still discover critical issues during FAT, SAT or commissioning, when corrective actions become costly and project schedules are already under pressure. This is where real-time simulation comes in! 

Real-time simulation reproduces power-system behaviour in a controlled environment operating at the same pace as the real world. It enables engineers to assess control, protection and interoperability performance under realistic operating conditions, reduce commissioning risks and identify issues earlier. 

Our approach:
validation tailored to your challenge 

From early design studies to controller validation and system integration testing, we select the most appropriate validation environment to answer the questions that matter at each stage of your project. 

Offline Simulation 

Ideal for early-stage design validation, architecture assessment and performance studies.

Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) 

Validate control and protection algorithms and real code within representative EMT models before hardware integration. 

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) 

Connects the actual controller, protection device or communication equipment to a representative power-system model running in real time. The physical equipment interacts with the simulated network as it would with the real installation, allowing its behaviour, interfaces and interoperability to be assessed before factory testing and on-site integration. 

Typical HIL use cases 

  • Controller and protection-device integration 
  • Multi-vendor and system-level interoperability testing 
  • Industrial communication and IEC 61850 testing 
  • FAT preparation and FAT-like validation 
  • Validation of software releases and upgraded components 
  • Reproduction and investigation of field issues 

Applications we support 

HIL validation can be applied to a wide range of control and protection functions, including HVDC and MVDC control systems, converter and MMC controllers, DC Grid Controllers, protection schemes, grid-forming functions, IEC 61850 communication architectures and SCADA integration environments. By identifying issues before factory testing, site testing or commissioning, we help reduce technical risks, avoid costly redesigns and improve project readiness. 

Beyond validation: support for control & protection development

While validation is at the core of our offering, SuperGrid Institute also supports the development of advanced control and protection solutions for HVDC, MVDC and hybrid AC/DC networks. Our teams can contribute from system specification and architecture design through to implementation and validation, supporting the development of technically robust solutions from specification through validation. 

  • Control and protection architecture design
  • Converter, MMC and DC grid control development 
  • Grid-forming and supervisory control functions 
  • Protection concepts and coordination strategies 
  • Simulation, SIL and HIL validation

Combining development and validation activities helps ensure robust solutions from specification through deployment. 

Why SuperGrid Institute

SuperGrid Institute combines power-system expertise, control and protection engineering, and advanced simulation capabilities to support the development of next-generation AC/DC networks. We help our customers move from system design and controller development to real-time validation and commissioning readiness within a single engineering framework.  

By combining network studies, control design, SIL/HIL validation and digital-twin technologies, we bridge the gap between component performance and system-level behaviour, helping identify risks earlier and accelerate deployment. 

SuperGrid Institute is an Institute for Energy Transition.

Our references

Building & maintaining a real-time digital twin
of an MVDC demonstrator

SuperGrid Institute, successfully developed an advanced digital twin of a medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) demonstrator for linear photovoltaic power plants (OPHELIA project), addressing critical challenges in modern Power System Transmission.

Digital twins are a powerful tool to validate that a system and its equipment will function as expected. They can also be used to uncover unexpected results which in turn show how to improve equipment or troubleshoot during a network’s development phase. The value of this tool is now widely accepted but few real project demonstrators have been linked to a digital twin today.

Using the Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) platform, SuperGrid Institute’s team built a real-time digital twin of the MVDC OPHELIA demonstrator network.

The digital twin will run for 2 years (until 2028). During this period, it will be used to troubleshoot the day-to-day running of the network and will also provide valuable information about the digital twin tool itself, making it possible to develop more advanced versions in the future.

InterOpera: Development of DC grid control
for MTDC grid

Within the European InterOPERA project, SuperGrid Institute contributes to the development of advanced DC Grid Control functions designed for the operation of future multi-terminal DC networks. These functions provide the intelligence required to operate the grid efficiently under changing operating conditions.

One of the key challenges is moving beyond the control of individual converters to optimise the behaviour of the network as a whole. This requires advanced functionalities capable of continuously coordinating power exchanges, adapting network operation and supporting system-wide decision making.

To address this challenge, SuperGrid Institute develops and validates grid-level control functions including:

  • Optimal Power Flow (OPF)
  • Coordinated start-up and shutdown strategies
  • Network reconfiguration functions
  • Power and voltage ramping management
  • System-wide operational coordination

By combining power-system expertise, advanced algorithms and grid-control know-how, SuperGrid Institute helps transform innovative research concepts into practical solutions for the next generation of interoperable DC grids.

They trusted us

Laurent Chedot

Contact our expert

Laurent Chedot, Research group leader – Control & protection prototyping and validation