Ageing asset infrastructure is a major concern in the power industry, with growing populations and urbanisation trends demanding increased generation capacity. In addition, most utilities face pressure to keep electricity costs low while delivering reliable power, which can lead to challenging budget constraints. Thus, operators, engineers and plant managers continually strive to make every plant’s operation and maintenance rand stretch as far as possible.
While operating assets for as long as possible can be cost-effective and efficient, the practice can have quite the opposite outcome without proper preparations.
Ageing equipment can contribute to outages, failures, downtime, higher costs, decreased efficiency and a number of other associated problems. Ageing assets can also cause regulatory, environmental compliance and safety issues.
Effective maintenance is a critical component of ensuring that assets, plants and entire fleets continue to operate reliably for long periods of time. Plant personnel employ a combination of maintenance techniques depending on the criticality of each asset, and organisations that do not have a comprehensive maintenance strategy in place are putting the operation at risk. If a potential asset failure could result in significant damage, safety issues or power outages, a proactive maintenance approach is needed.
Predictive maintenance involves continuous monitoring of the health of equipment and comparing its state to a model that defines normal operation to detect subtle early warning signs of potential failure. Predictive maintenance typically uses advanced pattern recognition and requires a predictive analytics solution for real-time information about equipment health. The insights from a predictive analytics solution like Schneider Electric’s Avantis PRiSM help engineers and plant operators better determine when an ageing asset can continue running as is, needs to be serviced, or needs to be replaced.
When applying predictive maintenance strategies, utilities are able to make smarter decisions about when and where maintenance should be performed. These decisions are based on the criticality of the asset, the asset’s performance history and the goals of the plant managers. Predictive analytics solutions allow decision-makers to extend maintenance windows by delaying maintenance that may not be immediately necessary. Rather than completing maintenance exactly as suggested by the original equipment manufacturer, the maintenance could be performed during a more convenient and cost-effective time.
As power infrastructure continues to age, it is more important than ever to understand how and why an asset is performing the way it is in order to avoid costly failures. The amount of data available to engineers and plant personnel also continues to grow, creating opportunities to further improve plant reliability and efficiency. Through predictive analytics solutions, this information is being used to monitor the health and performance of equipment and prevent failure of older assets.
Schneider Electric leverages its strengths in electrification, automation and digitalisation Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric is launching its NExT programme in sub-Saharan Africa. The programme is designed to leverage its strengths in electrification, automation and digitalisation to guide customers and partners through a fast-changing energy and technology landscape.
Read more...SF6-free MV switchgear for Western Cape Fruit Processors Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric and Technoserve Medium Voltage have installed the award-winning RM AirSeT SF6-free pure air MV switchgear at the Western Cape Fruit Processors facility in the Elgin Valley, Grabouw.
Read more...Edge I/O NTS and the need for industrial speed Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
One of the most compelling solutions to emerge from industrial automation is Edge I/O NTS, which represents a natural evolution of computing from centralised servers to localised, device-level input/output processing, offering improved speed, efficiency and resilience.
Read more...The next wave of AI-driven process automation Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
As process industries hurtle toward an AI-driven future, four powerful trends are set to redefine automation strategies in 2026: hyper automation, AI-first automation, low code/no code platforms, and advanced process intelligence.
Read more...Real-time modelling for a resilient, bi-directional energy future Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
South Africa’s electrical grid is a classic example of a traditional power system, designed for one-way energy flow. This is where real-time grid modelling becomes critical.
Read more...Open automation is breaking legacy chains Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Industrial automation is now entering a new era defined by open, software-driven principles that are breaking decades of hardware-bound limitations.
Read more...Why grid flexibility and reliability are more important than you think Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
In South Africa the grid was never designed to accommodate large-scale rooftop solar adoption, widespread distributed generation, or the rapid growth of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. As the electricity landscape and grid evolve, flexibility and reliability should become part of this equation.
Read more...Rethinking power for Africa’s data centres Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
There is a wave of new data centres across the continent, but too many of these facilities are still designed around the assumption that when the grid fails, diesel will save the day. This approach is no longer fit for purpose.
Read more...Metering and telemetry solutions for water and wastewater facilities in rugged, remote areas Schneider Electric South Africa
Industrial Wireless
Schneider Electric has announced the availability of its battery-powered electromagnetic water meter, industrial Ethernet radio and RTU. These are intelligent technologies that provide the water and wastewater industry with greater accuracy, visibility and resilience.
Read more...How next-gen RTUs are connecting the dots in remote automation Schneider Electric South Africa
Industrial Wireless
In the world of industrial automation, the spotlight has recently shifted from traditional turbomachinery to the innovative capabilities of remote terminal units. These advanced devices are redefining how industries manage remote assets.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version