How a major European utility transitioned to smarter and lower-cost asset inspections

A major European utility was facing challenges in inspecting/monitoring its critical electrical equipment, ensuring its employees’ safety during hazardous inspections, and keeping O&M costs low. Read below how they transitioned to lower cost, safer, and more efficient inspections using GE Vernova’s Autonomous Inspection.

• A vertically integrated major European utility with a presence in conventional as well as renewables markets.

• Monitoring critical electrical equipment while keeping costs low.
• Enabling remote asset inspections/monitoring by minimizing or eliminating the need to travel to the site for inspections.
• Ensuring employee safety during hazardous inspections.

• Autonomous Inspection, along with fixed thermal cameras, was implemented at the customer site for automated and remote monitoring of electrical equipment. This involved Generator step-up transformers (GSUT) and Gas insulated switchyard inlets.

Autonomous Inspection enabled the customer to:

• Save on asset inspection costs and resources through remote monitoring of equipment.
  • Witness cost savings and productivity gains vs. available alternatives as sensors and instrumentation options were relatively expensive and disruptive
• Achieve faster abnormality detection and response (vs. manual inspections) to prevent equipment downtimes.
• Monitor equipment surface temperature profile, receive alerts, and transfer temperature data to APM for advanced analysis.
• Maximize workers’ safety by eliminating need for them to be around equipment.