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Utility companies face increasing pressure from regulators seeking to protect consumers from escalating costs. This general trend in the industry places them under pressure to justify their budget by demonstrating the condition of their equipment and their specific maintenance needs to keep their network in reliable working order.
Our client, one of the world's largest publicly listed utilities focused on transmission and distribution of electricity and gas, is no exception. Reviews and budget constraints are implemented by the regulator on a regular basis.
In 2017, the government energy regulator confirmed it would reduce the provider’s spending allowances in its current price controls for running the high voltage electricity grid and high-pressure gas main by over $200 million.
It was clear - our client had to re-look at their spending, their existing systems and infrastructure. A review found that the systems and processes they used to monitor the condition of their equipment and planning maintenance activities were inadequate for the current business environment.
They needed a solution that could integrate with their legacy systems and close gaps in their workflow processes.
Their search for a technology partner to help them overcome these challenges led them to Cyberhawk and the implementation of a Proof of Concept (PoC) project. The iHawk solution provided them with a platform for increased remote monitoring and fewer trips to site for maintenance activities.
This supported our client’s commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance), and their focus to reduce their carbon footprint.
Our client owns a substantial portion of high voltage electricity
transmission network and, as such, the reliability of pylons, cables,
and substations are of critical importance to the power supply to
millions of users.
We begin planning and executing maintenance
repairs on the grid by collecting information on the condition of assets
using drones, helicopters, cameras, and laser scanners. However, no
direct link exists between inspection reports and the asset management
system, meaning that some tasks may be missed or delayed. The shortfalls
in the legacy systems and processes give rise to the following
challenges:
1. Reliability
The
workflow gap between inspection and maintenance means that most work is
executed on a time-based approach rather than risk-based. High-risk
conditions may not be addressed quickly enough, leading to equipment
failure and reliability issues. On the other hand, tasks may be planned
and executed when the condition of the equipment does not warrant
intervention. Unnecessary tasks inflate the maintenance burden of the
grid.
2. Efficiency and ESG Performance
The
lack of a global view of the equipment’s condition also hampers
maintenance efficiency. Several site visits may be planned for different
tasks, rather than one single visit covering all activities. The result
is a waste of time and resources as well as a high carbon footprint.
3. Access to Information
The
client’s legacy asset management system requires skilled administrators
to write new reports to access information in different ways. A user
cannot easily create their own report to get the information they need
for decision making or investigation.
Interested in learning how we can support your project?
Download your free power grid capabilities overview pack now!
Cyberhawk has an established track record in the power utility
industry as a technology partner and solution provider. Our scope
includes software solutions, engineering support and optimisation of
inspection programs using drones.
In 2021 Cyberhawk were
approached by the utility giant to implement the iHawk system on a
single substation as a PoC. This allowed the organisation to test the
system in a live application and assess its performance and benefits
before broader implementation.
During the PoC phase, iHawk was
installed as a software solution without the need for consulting
support. They deployed the software with minimal training and telephonic
support, thus demonstrating the system's ease of use and flexibility.
They uploaded hundreds of inspection photographs, categorising them and
assigning defect values based on their internal standards.
iHawk
can connect to the Asset Management System (such as Ellipse) and the
Building Information Modelling System (BIMS) and provides a holistic
view of all available information. It also closes the gaps in workflow
processes by enabling users to create work orders for executing
maintenance tasks.
The powerful graphic displays and dashboards
enable the client’s engineers to access the information they need. iHawk
offers an immersive view of the substation, with each piece of
equipment visible in its geospatial location. The system has a powerful
dashboard of analytics and the ability to drill down into each piece of
equipment to see the components and condition reports in more detail.
Interested in learning how we can support your project?
Download your free power grid capabilities overview pack now!
Although the current implementation of
iHawk only covers one of the provider’s substations in the PoC, there
are already significant visible benefits, including reduced site visits
and a more efficient condition data management.
The graphic 3D
visualisation of the site provides an easy-to-use and intuitive view of
all equipment. Time-stamped inspection pictures with geospatial
coordinates enable engineers to develop a clear and auditable risk
management plan for each asset.
The following photos shows the
interface for the PoC, demonstrating the quality of information, ease of
use and power of the iHawk system.
Dashboards provide a user interface showing a map of risk. Traffic light colour-coded symbols clearly show high-risk conditions, and details are easy to find by drilling down into the next layer of information. Users can also query the system to get an overview of a particular class of asset. For example, how many ‘xxx- Steelwork' condition states exist, and where are they located.
iHawk enables
our client’s teams to manage the risk of their assets more effectively
and budget their maintenance activities more accurately. Using our
software, their engineers can adopt a proactive approach and plan
repairs according to an asset's current condition and its risk of
failure.
Flexible access to information, immersive visualisation
and connection to legacy systems cover their workflow gaps. Engineers
can translate condition assessments directly into maintenance plans,
thus improving substation reliability and lowering the risk of equipment
failure.
Additionally, iHawk helps optimise their inspection and
maintenance work. They have eliminated duplicate trips to the PoC
substation and lowered their carbon footprint as a result.
Interested in learning how we can support your project?
Download your free power grid capabilities overview pack now!
Based on the
success of the PoC project, our client is now exploring the rollout of
the iHawk system across a further 296 substations. The solution can be
applied to transmission and distribution elements of the grid, too,
making the tool a valuable technology for managing the entire grid.
iHawk
can work with legacy asset management systems to cover gaps in workflow
processes or replace some asset management functions completely. It
also democratises data from other sources so that users have access to
all the information they need from one central place. In that way, iHawk
opens up systems that cover a narrow engineering niche and makes their
data available to a broader user base.
Our client are also
seeking to expand their drone inspection program to reduce their carbon
footprint. Cyberhawk is well-positioned to assist with this program due
to our extensive experience in this field. We have developed effective
management systems for large scale programs involving thousands of drone
inspections that regularly cover the entire grid. Our proven QA/QC
systems are designed with these programs in mind.
iHawk offers
visualisation of sites and their equipment condition assessments. This
utility giant will be able to measure clearances, plan work and induct
personnel once the system is extended beyond the PoC into the rest of
the infrastructure. As an added benefit, all these activities can happen
remotely, meaning that they can lower their carbon footprint even more.
Enabling remote activities also provides resilience for pandemic
conditions with lockdowns and restrictions of travel.