Huawei and PEA Launch Next-Generation AI-Powered Intelligent Substations in Thailand

Huawei, in collaboration with Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), has introduced a next-generation intelligent substation solution powered by artificial intelligence, marking a significant step forward in the digital modernization of Thailand’s power infrastructure. The announcement was made at a themed event, “AI Empowers New-Gen Intelligent Substations,” held in Bangkok.

William Zhang, President of Enterprise Business at Huawei Thailand, highlighted the growing challenges facing modern power systems, including renewable energy integration and interactive electricity consumption. He emphasized that digitalization and intelligence are essential to overcoming these challenges. “As critical components of the power grid, substations must evolve to improve overall system reliability. Our joint solution with PEA combines optical-visual linkage with AI-driven predictive maintenance, enabling intelligent inspections and highly efficient operations and maintenance. This ensures substations operate safely, reliably, and efficiently,” Zhang said.

Pantong Thinsatit, Assistant Governor for Grid Network Operations at PEA, stressed the importance of digital transformation in driving high-quality development within the power sector. “PEA is accelerating the adoption of intelligent substations through innovation to redefine energy services. We have already deployed unattended intelligent systems across 467 substations, leveraging advanced technologies to enhance operational safety,” he noted. Looking ahead, PEA plans to advance full automation, break down data silos, and integrate smart poles, license plate recognition, battery monitoring, and emergency response systems to enable faster and more accurate operations. These intelligent substations are expected to become central to the energy ecosystem and serve as a scalable model for industry-wide digital transformation.

Conventional substations often face three key challenges: inadequate security monitoring, inefficient and error-prone manual inspections, and legacy cabling infrastructure that results in high latency and limited stability, restricting intelligent service deployment. Huawei’s solution addresses these issues through three core capabilities:

All-Weather Digital Security (Perimeter Protection):
By combining fiber-optic sensing technologies with AI algorithms, the system can automatically detect intrusions, coordinate with video surveillance, and enable remote verification. This transforms security from a reactive approach to proactive, 24/7 monitoring.

AI-Driven Intelligent Inspection:
Advanced AI inspection algorithms, computer vision models, and cloud-edge collaboration enable automated meter reading, transformer oil leakage detection, and real-time remote management. Faults can be identified and addressed within minutes, significantly improving maintenance efficiency.

Full Connectivity Through a Comprehensive Sensing Network:
Intra-station passive optical networks (PONs) reduce deployment time and costs while providing high-speed, stable connectivity. This network acts as the “nervous system” of the power grid, supporting intelligent operations and maintenance.

This collaboration reflects the strong progress Huawei and PEA have made in technological innovation and ecosystem development. Moving forward, Huawei will continue to work closely with Thailand’s power utilities and industry partners to further accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of the country’s power sector.

BY: NIROSHA GUPTA