pwr_february-2024 - 28

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
dures, and permits; alarm management
methodology; maintenance work orders;
real-time and historical process data; engineering
schematics; and technical documentation
with laser scanning data, 3D
models, and cybersecurity safeguards to
enable a robust and comprehensive digital
twin for the entire operation.
To bring it all together and maximize
the value of these new digital capabilities,
a system that delivers a unified,
role-based view of the physical and
digital realities across facilities is available.
This integrated view provides realtime
visibility into asset performance,
safety, security, and quality to enable
better-informed decisions that increase
productivity, operational integrity, profitability,
and sustainability. It features a
digital infrastructure that connects data
across the entire asset lifecycle, enabling
managers to achieve more with
digital twins, third-party software, and
legacy systems.
Modernizing Legacy Systems
Anyone with a computer or cell phone
knows that technology is constantly
evolving. What passed for state-of-theart
several years ago may be considered
obsolete today. While there are probably
people in the world who still carry a flip
phone, anyone with a smart phone could
tell them that the new technology is far
superior to the old and the capabilities of
each are hardly comparable.
The same is true of technology in power
plants. Operational technology (OT)
and industrial control systems (ICSs) provide
the backbone for power plant operations
today. Both are generally part of a
specialized hardware and software ecosystem
used in industrial environments
(Figure 2), including power plants, to
monitor and control physical processes.
While OT and ICSs have been in use
for decades, a lot has changed over the
years. New OT systems benefit from
advances in networking technologies,
enabling greater connectivity and interoperability
between different devices
and systems. Better connectivity facilitates
real-time data exchange, remote
monitoring, and centralized management,
leading to improved efficiency and
decision-making.
Cybersecurity has also been improved
over time. Traditional OT and
ICS systems often lacked robust security
measures, making them vulnerable
to cyber threats. New OT incorporates
stronger cybersecurity practices, including
secure protocols, authentication
mechanisms, encryption, and intrusion
detection systems. This helps protect
critical infrastructure from cyberattacks
and ensures the integrity and availability
of OT systems.
New OT also leverages concepts developed
in the information technology
(IT) domain, such as cloud computing,
big data analytics, artificial intelligence
(AI), and machine learning. With these
improvements to OT systems, organizations
can gain valuable insights, optimize
operations, and enable more advanced
automation. Modern OT architectures
are also designed to be more scalable
and flexible, facilitating easier integration
of additional devices, sensors, and
components, which allows companies to
adapt to changing requirements without
major disruptions.
But perhaps the biggest change in
OT and ICS systems today involves
analytics and decision-making enhancements.
New OT systems can collect
and process large volumes of real-time
data from various sources, enabling
advanced analytics, which empowers
organizations to make data-driven decisions,
optimize operations, reduce
downtime, and enhance overall performance.
Upgrading legacy systems for
this reason alone could pay dividends.
2. Technology is fundamental to efficient
and reliable power plant operations today.
Source: Envato Elements
28
Data, Data, and More Data
Power plant OT systems generate and
collect a significant amount of data from
various sources, such as sensors, meters,
control systems, and monitoring
devices. The data includes information
about system pressures, temperatures,
and flows; equipment status; environmental
conditions; maintenance records;
and more.
The volume of data generated and
stored by all the power plants in the
world is almost unfathomable (Figure 3).
Large power plants or those with extensive
monitoring systems may have many
terabytes in their databases, depending
www.powermag.com
3. Data is constantly flowing into power
plant monitoring and control systems. Gleaning
sound insight from the terabytes of information,
however, often requires advanced
analytical tools. Source: Envato Elements
on the plant capacity, and frequency and
duration of data collection.
Yet, all this data is important and necessary
to fully capitalize on the benefits
of advanced analytics. That's why it's
so important to eliminate unstructured,
duplicated, and disconnected data and
documentation, while ensuring data accuracy,
integrity, and reliability. Consolidating
digital data sources will reduce
storage requirements, while still allowing
intelligent information to be gleaned
from databases. Investing in a comprehensive
digital transformation strategy
can accelerate a company's continuous
improvement efforts.
Workforce Challenges
Power companies are facing workforce
challenges across the board. Some studies
suggest the percentage of power industry
workers eligible for retirement is
as high as 40%, but finding replacement
workers is difficult. For example, Public
Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG), a
diversified energy company headquartered
in Newark, New Jersey, had close
to 500 active job openings in March
2023. While some of the openings were
due to a growth in capital work, the company's
Chief Human Resources Officer
reported a turnover rate on retirements
of about 3% in 2022, which amounts
to a lot of jobs in a workforce of about
12,500. Many other power companies
have reported similar statistics.
In some circles, especially among
younger generations, the power industry
is perceived to be antiquated and boring,
but that is far from the truth. As has already
been noted, advanced technology
and innovative systems are at the heart
of most power plants. Furthermore,
many power companies are addressing
the workforce shortage by implementing
new technology that captures and utilizes
knowledge from soon-to-be retirees,
and reduces the need for skilled labor.
POWER | February 2024
http://www.powermag.com
pwr_february-2024

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