GE Combines Software and Services to Improve Dominican Republic's Power Reliability

GE (NYSE:GE) announced it is providing the Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Eléctricas Estatales (CDEEE) with a combined software and services package at the Central Termoeléctrica Punta Catalina (CTPC) power plant. This includes a Multi-Year Agreement (MYA) to provide maintenance and repair services for the plant’s existing steam turbine generators, combined with GE software to help CDEEE operate the plant reliably and achieve optimal performance. The combination of digital services makes it GE’s most comprehensive digital deal in Latin America with first-of-its-kind software implementation currently underway.

“With CTPC’s essential role in providing one third of the Dominican Republic’s total generation capacity, we are counting on GE’s maintenance services and digital capabilities to help us generate reliable, affordable electricity for years to come,” said Jaime Aristy-Escuder, General Manager, CTPC. “We are proud to partner with GE on the island’s largest digital steam plant with first-of-its-kind software implementation which is complemented with on-site support by GE experts with Advisory Services on operations and maintenance on the plant.”

As an island nation, the Dominican Republic can face weather and other challenges in its quest to deliver continuous electricity for its 10.8 million residents. The 752-megawatt CTPC power plant plays an essential role in maintaining reliable power and supporting a stable grid as the country strives to increase its use of renewable energy by 25% between 2015 and 2025.

“We look forward to supporting CDEEE/CTPC and helping them deliver reliable and affordable power for the Dominican Republic,” said Michael Keroulle, President & CEO, GE Steam Power. “As a longtime service provider for the steam power industry with more than 200 multi-year agreements in place, GE is committed to helping our customers improve their profitability and competitiveness, while at the same time providing essential power to those who need it most.”   

As the Dominican Republic’s most comprehensive digital steam plant, CTPC will showcase GE’s broad range of software to help CDEEE operate the CTPC plant reliably and achieve better performance over its lifetime. This will include the world’s first-ever implementation of GE’s Plant Efficiency Advisor to help CDEEE monitor and identify the plant’s performance gaps, as well as the Caribbean’s first implementation of Boiler Optimization and Mill Optimization software to help increase efficiency and reduce NOx emissions over the plant’s lifetime.  

“By investing in GE’s innovative hardware, software and services capabilities, CDEEE/CTPC will be able to offer better value for its customers while demonstrating its commitment to innovation,” said Pat Byrne, CEO of GE Digital. “GE’s partnership with CDEEE at the CTPC plant further proves that software is becoming mission critical in helping industries solve their toughest challenges.”

Through its Predix Asset Performance Management (APM) digital technology, GE will help the CDEEE/CTPC team remotely monitor the site’s equipment to help detect operational issues before they occur as a means of avoiding unplanned downtime from operation. In addition, an Operations Performance Management (OPM) suite will help the site run more efficiently, translating to lower fuel costs and longer operating life for its equipment.

Additionally, to avoid unplanned downtime and optimize performance, CTPC will implement Digital Twin blueprints -- software representations of critical assets -- across both units to detect equipment failures before they happen. Based on AI / Machine Learning and network modelling, GE’s Digital Twins will help CDEEE recognize faster time-to-value through increased reliability, reduced risk, lower maintenance costs and improved production. Assets are monitored in real-time from GE’s Monitoring and Diagnostics Center in Atlanta, Georgia where teams of industry experts currently oversee more than 1.2 million digital twins worldwide.