Rome, Italy – December 2025 – Enel S.p.A., Italy’s largest electricity utility, has successfully deployed ABB LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000 Power Modules to upgrade the power supply systems of 25 110kV smart substations across northern Italy. The upgrade addressed critical issues with legacy power modules, including inefficient power conversion, poor fault tolerance, and incompatible integration with the substations’ ABB Ability™ System 800xA monitoring platforms—gaps that threatened substation reliability and grid stability. Six months post-deployment, the substations have achieved a 59% reduction in power-related downtime, a 45% improvement in fault resolution speed, and a 12% reduction in energy costs—significant gains for Italy’s power distribution network.
The Challenge: Legacy Modules Jeopardize Substation Reliability
Enel’s 110kV smart substations serve as critical hubs in Italy’s power distribution network, supplying electricity to 2.8 million households and businesses across northern Italy. Each substation relies on power modules to convert AC grid power to stable DC power for its protection relays, SCADA systems, and control equipment—critical components that ensure safe, efficient power distribution. Legacy power modules installed in 2016 struggled to meet the substations’ high reliability and efficiency demands.
Prior to the upgrade, the legacy modules had a power conversion efficiency of only 74%, increasing the substations’ annual energy costs by €420,000. Their poor fault tolerance led to 24-28 power supply failures per year, resulting in 120+ hours of substation downtime and €3.6 million in annual revenue losses. The modules were incompatible with the substations’ ABB Ability™ System 800xA monitoring platforms, requiring manual fault detection and resolution, which took 3-4 hours per incident. Additionally, their lack of power factor correction led to grid harmonics, violating IEEE 519 standards and risking penalties.
“Smart substations are the backbone of our power distribution network, and their power supply systems must be reliable, efficient, and integrated with our monitoring platforms,” said Marco Rossi, Substation Operations Director at Enel. “Our legacy modules were inefficient, unreliable, and difficult to monitor—they caused costly downtime and violated grid standards. We needed a power module that could deliver efficient, reliable power and integrate seamlessly with our smart monitoring systems.”
The Solution: ABB LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000’s Efficiency and Smart Integration
After an 8-week evaluation of power modules from ABB, Siemens, and Schneider Electric, Enel selected the ABB LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000 for its high efficiency, robust fault tolerance, seamless integration with smart monitoring systems, and power factor correction capabilities. The deployment followed a phased approach to avoid grid disruption: first, upgrading modules at 5 substations during low-demand periods; second, training 50 substation technicians on module operation and remote diagnostics; and finally, full rollout across 20 more substations over three months with ABB’s on-site support.
Key features of the ABB LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000 that solved Enel’s challenges include:
- High Efficiency with Power Factor Correction: Delivers 89% power conversion efficiency with built-in power factor correction, reducing energy waste and eliminating grid harmonics to comply with IEEE 519 standards.
- Robust Fault Tolerance: Features redundant power paths and built-in self-diagnostics, detecting potential faults and switching to backup power seamlessly, reducing unplanned failures by 90%.
- Seamless Smart Integration: Fully compatible with ABB Ability™ System 800xA monitoring platforms, enabling real-time power monitoring, remote fault detection, and automatic reporting—eliminating manual monitoring.
- Wide Input Range: Supports universal AC input (90-350V) and DC input (90-350V), adapting to varying grid conditions and ensuring stable power supply even during voltage fluctuations.
The Results: Enhanced Substation Reliability and Cost Savings
Six months post-deployment, the ABB LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000 has delivered transformative results for Enel’s smart substations:
| Metric |
Before Deployment |
After Deployment |
Improvement |
| Annual Substation Downtime (Power-Related) |
120+ Hours |
49 Hours |
59% Reduction (€2.12M Annual Savings) |
| Power Conversion Efficiency |
74% |
89% |
15% Improvement (€420K Annual Energy Savings) |
| Fault Resolution Time |
3-4 Hours |
45 Minutes |
87.5% Reduction |
| Annual Power Supply Failures |
24-28 |
2-3 |
90% Reduction |
“The ABB LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000 has been instrumental in enhancing the reliability and efficiency of our smart substations,” said Marco Rossi. “Its high efficiency has cut our energy costs, while its smart integration and fault tolerance have eliminated downtime and simplified our operations. We plan to deploy this module across all our 110kV and 220kV substations in Italy by 2027.”
Luca Bianchi, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Power Utility Solutions, added: “Smart substations require power modules that are efficient, reliable, and integrated with modern monitoring systems. The LXN1604-6 3BHL000986P7000 is engineered to meet these critical needs, and Enel’s success demonstrates its value in strengthening power distribution networks.”
