Power Transmission Technologies and Solutions: The Latest Advances at RTE, the French Transmission System Operator

RTE is the french transmission system operator (TSO) that owns, develops, maintains, and operates a power grid serving a load of 460 TWh, with 100,000 km of lines and cables and 2,700 substations of 63, 90, 225, and 400 kV. As is the case with many TSOs, the company plays a major role in enabling the successful transition to a system that can integrate more intermittent renewable resources and facilitate the development of smart grids and microgrids. With the increasing difficulty of building new lines and substations, the company strives to make the best use of its existing assets and improve the sustainability of new designs and components installed on the grid. R&D and innovation, new technology, telecommunications, and computation play key roles in the future development of the grid.