Horizon Power will soon begin the roll-out of its new project, set to create a digital environment to use smart technologies to improve asset management in regional and remote Western Australia.
The Internet of Things (IoT) Living Lab initiative will be rolled out across Lake Argyle, Kununurra and Wyndham. The roll-out will begin in East Kimberley in July, with the initiative expected to be transmitting data by September.
Horizon Power, Western Australia’s regional and remote power provider, has entered a three-year partnership with Enzen Australia, specialists in asset performance and digitalisation, who will deliver the initiative’s infrastructure and technology.
Horizon Power’s General Manager Technology and Digital Transformation, Ray Achemedei, said it was an exciting development that will transform the way we digitally operate, maintain and manage our assets.
“This partnership will allow us to develop our capabilities a lot faster than we could on our own,” Mr Achemedei said.
The initiative will play a key role in Horizon Power’s grid modernisation and digital transformation by delivering solutions that will further improve safety, grid reliability, resilience, and security.
Horizon operates 38 power systems delivering power to more than 110,000 homes, communities, and businesses. This includes 32 microgrids tailored to meet the unique needs of some of the most isolated and remote communities in the world.
“Our IoT Living Lab will deliver real-time situational awareness of our assets via a network of sensors which means we will know the status and performance of key assets as well as what is happening in the environment around them,” Mr Achemedei said.
“We’ll be able to combine real-time performance insights with historical trends while predictive algorithms will monitor asset health to identify anomalies, optimise maintenance schedules and create digital twins.
“Our crews will be able to receive alerts for early fault detection, and we will be able to dispatch them directly to the location – no more patrolling lines for up to six hours.
“IoT is cheaper and quicker to implement than existing control systems like SCADA. It’s also more flexible and easier to scale, which is important for Horizon Power and our customers who are spread across a quarter of the country.”
Horizon Power is making significant investments in developing its renewable energy capability and expertise. It currently has a number of initiatives underway, exploring new and innovative ways of providing customers with more sustainable, affordable power.
