Replacing the Prince Albert M-Series RTU was a special project for me for three personal reasons:

• Safety Improvements: This project benefited from numerous design tweaks, including a major safety enhancement I personally made to the SEL 2440 fusing system, which I first implemented during the initial deployment in Lloydminster four years ago.
• Project Initiation: I initiated this project after being dispatched to repair an obsolete Rochester Instruments SER. I made the business case that the repair would not be financially prudent for SaskPower and instead we should seek capital funding to replace the entire outdated system.
• Career Transition: After >15,000 hours, hundreds of projects, and numerous emergency repair calls, this would be my final project on the tools before transitioning to the design and project management phase of my career.

The project scope included installing the entire fiber optic network, IRIG-B timing, and replacing the GE M-Series RTU, which had approximately 150 controls, indications, alarms, SERs, and 18 analog measurements. This was replaced with a GE D400 HMI equipped with 8 SEL 2440 RIOs and a D20A analog board. Working with SaskPower’s construction, System Test, and SCADA engineering teams, we commissioned all hardwired and software points from IED to the Grid Control Center.

After leading, mentoring, or assisting on D400 installations at Ermine, PCS Allan, Elstow, Wolverine, Golden Lake, Points North, Lloydminster Sub, Edam, Rutland, and QE D-Plant, Prince Albert marked my last hands-on project.