GE Renewable Energy (GE) has agreed to provide predictive operation and maintenance (O&M) capabilities for Enel Green Power’s (EGP) hydro plants in Spain.
The companies have signed a three-year agreement that advances GE’s O&M activities. The contract includes the provision of predictive analytics, remote monitoring services and on-site sensor assessment using digital tools and consultative services.
GE Hydro Solutions CEO Pascal Radue said: “The hydropower industry is shifting dramatically to a much more dynamic and data-intensive approach to plant management.
“EGP is ahead of the industry in seeing the potential to improve O&M by harnessing data across a hydro plant in order to optimise OPEX, enhance plant efficiency and avoid failures.”
GE will initially evaluate the data provided by an existing control and monitoring equipment. The company will also collect data from individual plants, and then the entire data will be gathered in what GE calls ‘a centralised data lake.’
Using GE’s asset performance management (APM) software, the captured data will be continuously analysed. GE state that predictive analytics from the APM will be integrated with ‘extensive real-world experience from the operation of hydro plants’.
Additionally, GE’s hydro specialists will provide data analysis support to EGP in order to allow for informed recommendations associated with performance improvement.
Last month, GE Renewable Energy was chosen to provide its technology for the 324MW Phoenix onshore wind project in the Aragón region of Spain.
