A Case for Digitization in Hydropower

In its most basic and fundamental aspect, digitization in hydropower is a matter of enhancing efficiencies. Digitization allows hydropower plants to operate with greater efficiency with other renewable energy sources. It does this by supporting operations of hydropower plants, offering data which improves decision making. In addition, advanced technologies like digitization also enable upgradation of ageing plants. Increasingly, the world over, digitization is deciding how hydropower is maintained and operated.

The International Hydropower Association estimates that by 2030, over half the world’s hydropower plants will incorporate digitization. It is the greatest opportunity to drive fundamental changes if wisely harnessed and mainstreamed. 

Digital controls are increasingly improving performance of turbines, plants, equipment while reducing cost and optimizing asset management. I see a very rapid focus on leveraging digital technologies to expand delivery capabilities, increase safety and replace outdated analog control systems. The potential of value creation from digitization lies in increased flexibility and efficiency during operation, increased efficiency in maintenance, reduced costs through better condition control and lesser unplanned downtime. There’s also the aspect of improved safety and increased security of supply. Real time monitoring of power plants and river environment, monitoring individual components, predictive maintenance, better decision support for operators at site and automation make a further compelling case for digitization.

In the hydropower sector enhanced digital controls are part of a growing trend towards improving performance, creating optimal efficiencies, rationalizing costs. IoT is the key technology solution to digitize an HEP. The use of sensors offers real time data on asset health and external factors. Equipment manufacturers are embracing digitization in an effort to widen their scope of services. Plant operators must follow suit. Besides IoT, computational fluid dynamics makes internal flow predictions with high accuracy. It detects expected flow problems, and allows undertaking of improvements in turbine components to prevent failure.

Apart from this, distributed control systems are a crucial component of digital hydropower plants. These involve a network of sensors, flow switches, transducers etc. and provide complete control over machines. With this, no manual intervention is required because numerical relays are able to record and store a large number of events and disturbance records, providing excellent fault diagnosis.

Hydropower plants like other industrial plants produce large volumes of data and therefore, require an expansive IT infrastructure. Skill gaps are a challenge in digital transition. The fast pace of technological improvements call for high levels of IT knowledge and expertise, from design and implementation to operations. And constant knowledge upgrades to maintain currency of expertise. This includes cybersecurity. A digital ecosystem is an intelligent one. For example its more dynamic approach of detecting faults early and scheduling maintenance only when required alleviates logistics issues such as stocking the right quantity and variety of spares. This further has a bearing on avoiding equipment failure as well as premature replacement/maintenance of equipment.

I see digitization as bringing in a wave of new technologies for the immediate future besides optimizing reservoir management and maximizing revenues for hydropower producers. Digitization is the future, fast becoming the present. The big engineering solutions which will deliver a sea change of comprehensive digital transformation are in incubation. What we see are initial offerings.

- Udit Garg, Director & CEO, Kundan Green Energy