Skip to main content
Electrification Software
Remote Operations

Power generator realizes $1.4M annual gains with Remote Operations

7 GW

Capacity

4 Sites

Connected

$ 1.4 M

Annual Savings

Introduction

Managing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs is a huge challenge for any power generation site. Failing to optimize these costs makes it harder for organizations to meet their profitability goals, power demands, customer expectations, and energy transition targets. However, Remote Operations solutions can not only help reduce O&M costs but can also unlock a number of other benefits for the workforce (flexibility, productivity and safety), site/enterprise-level visibility, and security & compliance.

 

This Middle Eastern power generator implemented GE Digital’s Remote Operations Response, Command Centers, and Mobility solutions to tackle two core challenges.

Challenges

  • Reducing O&M costs across four power plants
  • Finding local expert technicians to support plant operations when necessary

Solutions

  • Implementing GE Digital’s Remote Operations Response, two Command Centers, and Mobility solutions across four plants in the Middle East.
     
  • The Remote Operations set up at the customer sites involved:
     
    • Connecting plant sites through secure plug-and-play remote connection brokers
    • Enabling Instrumentation & Control (I&C) technicians to connect to systems whether on- or off-site and with laptops or mobile devices to empower faster response time, share resources, and enable rapid access to external support
    • Allowing headquarters to connect through internet connections via servers, laptops, or mobile devices for real-time site information, forming a single line of truth

 

The customer was able to experience several of the benefits almost as soon as GE Remote Operations were implemented:

  • Response, being a light-weight and easy to deploy solution, helped immediately enable remote/mobile monitoring and assistance services.
     
  • With Mobility, on-site teams were able to get safe and secure access to control room capabilities anywhere within the boundaries of the plants. This enabled Control Room Operators (CRO), Outside Operator Technicians (OOT) or Field Technicians (FT) to better collaborate and more efficiently execute tasks on-site.
     
  • The two Command Centers enabled the client to aggregate, process and visualize data from its 4 plant sites in a single pane of glass helping make them make more informed decisions and act faster.

Results

  • $1.4m in total annual gains across four plant sites
  • Faster response time to any plant issues
  • Easier resource sharing across sites
  • Centralized and consistent visibility into plant operations
  • Better access to external controls to support plants remotely
  • Instant information sharing between sites

 

Customer’s Headquarter (HQ)

 

  • Could immediately get information from sites HMI’s
  • Had a single line of truth to what is happening at the sites
  • Had visibility into centralized pool of resources to work on controls issues

 

Customer’s Instrumentation & Control (I&C) Center

 

  • Could initiate faster response time to plant issues
  • Could more easily share high-demand resources between plants
  • Enabled rapid access to external controls support without the T&L cost
  • Enabled immediate and direct access to troubleshooting tools and ability to directly implement corrective measures