Power, transportation, and water are the building blocks of a modern civilization, and the critical infrastructures that make them available, are the keys to economic prosperity. Having a reliable, uninterrupted supply of electricity paves the way for sustainable economic growth. After all, electricity is the cornerstone of just about everything people around the world do daily.

 

The traditional energy value chain, from generation to consumption, is becoming more complex as the global need for clean, reliable and affordable electricity continues to grow. For Transmission and Distribution operators to succeed in today’s changing environment, the ability to adapt and optimize operations at an ever-increasing rate is essential — digital transformation holds the key.

 

As the volume of smart sensors and meters deployed on grids increases exponentially, so does the volume and speed of the data generated by the grid. Yet overall power producers and utilities are analyzing less than 2% of their available data.

 

Without optimizing operational processes and taking advantage of automated energy systems, utilities are missing opportunities to have full data transparency. They are missing the chance to unlock the potential of this data and increase their reliability, efficiency, as well as enhancing their grid safety.

 

“Today power producers and utilities are analyzing less than 2% of their available data”

 

Egypt is in the midst of an energy transition. The energy sector continues to move into a future where the modern grid is driven by the combination of intelligent grid-edge devices and high-speed communication. With the increasing share of renewable energy, digital technology offers an increasing degree of intelligence to all kinds of energy suppliers, consumers, and especially the grid.

 

New technological approaches are developing with unprecedented speed. They’re transforming, disrupting entire industries, and speeding up the changes needed to create a more sustainable and cleaner future.

 

This is why we are proud of the collaboration between Siemens Energy and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). Together we activated the first digitally- connected seven single phase Auto-transformers 250MVA 500/220/11KV in Egypt – Siemens Sensformer^R – at Kafr El sheikh 500/220/66/11-kilovolt substation.

This will enable the customer operator to optimize the quality and speed of operational decisions as well as to become more flexible, act faster and more efficiently in troubleshooting or to completely avoid it.

 

With this deployment, EETC and Siemens Energy will have the information they need to start the digital journey of Egypt’s transmission sector and pave the way for the Internet of Energy.

 

 

A big step towards the Internet of Energy!

 

These next-generation transformers act as information hubs and are equipped with a connectivity feature that transmits a defined set of data to a cloud-based platform application. The program visualizes the information and provides real-time updates on the status and performance of assets. Sensformer^R can learn from data to improve maintenance planning, simplify asset management, and increase availability of power supply.

 

Transformers are located at each critical node within the power grid and are exposed to various forms of electrical and physical stress. They are a vital part of power grids – whether conventional or digital. Without a monitoring device attached, their real status is usually unknown.

 

Grids equipped with Sensformer^R have access to real-time measurements of oil level, top oil temperature, low-voltage winding, and GPS location of transformers.

 

On top of that, a mobile app provides secure mobile connectivity for an instant overview of real-time data. There’s no cause for concern anymore as operators are notified when transformers need to be closely monitored under overload conditions and when, precisely, maintenance works need to be planned. This technology is a great contribution to simplified asset management, enhanced operations, and increased availability. It also represents a big step in our journey towards the Internet of Energy.