GE Renewable Energy and Fortum Sverige AB. sign Digital Hydro pilot agreement

GE Renewable Energy announced today it has signed an agreement with the Nordic energy company Fortum for a large scale digital pilot based on GE Predix* Solutions.

GE’s APM Edge Analytics – also known as iCMS – will be installed on one unit of the 127 MW Höljes hydropower station in Sweden. The intelligent condition monitoring system will be commissioned along with a Human to Machine interface that will enable Fortum to view sensors’ data in real time. Edge Analytics can record up to 2 terabytes of data each month and ensure 1% of additional availability for the unit.

As part of the same agreement, the Sweden-based Höljes, Trängslet and Krangede stations as well as the Finland-based Imatra hydropower station will be equipped with Asset Performance Management modules called “Machine & Equipment health” and “Remote Diagnostics Services” for a duration of six months. These modules will be installed on one unit at each power plant.

During the test phase, operators will be able to view dashboards that display Key Performance Indicators for each unit equipped. The remote Diagnostics Services module will ensure cloud data connection and cloud storage through Predix*. GE Renewable Energy experts will accompany Fortum by providing assistance and recommendations for required maintenance decisions.

Sanjeev Addala, GE Renewable Energy Chief Digital Officer added, “It is a great step forward to partner with Fortum. Our teams have been working together for the past several months to identify new ways to enhance the availability and business outcomes of these plants. With APM Edge Analytics we capture key asset & operational data to gain improved visibility, and actionable insights, laying the foundation for strong execution.”

Per Edoff, Fortum Chief Digital Officer said: “Digitalization enables us to operate and maintain our production units more efficiently. Within the Nordic energy system, hydro power is essential and with increasing shares of volatile wind power production its importance will increase even more. It’s then crucial to minimize downtime connected to maintenance and we expect that this pilot will give us a tool necessary to accomplish that.”