Hydropower’s Digital Transformation - ge.com · and Canada led the way in hydropower engineering....

September 2017

Brandon OwensGlobal Director, GE Ecomagination

Debora Frodl Global Executive Director, GE Ecomagination

EcomaginationGE Renewable Energy

Hydropower’sDigitalTransformation

1 Hydropower’s Digital Transformation

CONTENTS

2 Executive Summary

5 Introduction

6 Hydropower’s Growing Global Reach

10 Introducing the Industrial Internet

13 Exploring Hydropower’s Digital Potential

15 Conclusion

16 GE Renewable Energy

18 GE Ecomagination

20 References

20 Acknowledgments


One of the world’s most established sources of electricity is getting a makeover using twenty-first century technologies. The lessons learned from the digitization of other sectors such as media, retail, communications, healthcare, and education are now being successfully applied to hydropower technologies. The digitization of hydropower will impact the global electric power system by providing both economic and environmental benefits across a range of electricity stakeholders from power plant owners to electricity consumers. The future of energy has arrived.

GE is helping to usher in the digital hydropower era by leveraging the emerging Industrial Internet. GE’s “Digital Hydro Plant” is a nimble suite of end-to-end apps that seamlessly integrates software intelligence into hardware assets and control systems to enable new economic outcomes and opportunities. Digital Hydro Plant is based on Predix™, GE’s Industrial Internet operating system. GE’s digital innovations include asset performance management (APM), cybersecurity, plant and fleet optimization, outage management, condition monitoring equipment and

energy forecasting. By controlling expenses and energy production, creating a more efficient hydro turbine and leveraging automation and data-driven maintenance, we are poised to take hydropower services to unprecedented levels.

GE’s Intelligent Condition Monitoring System (iCMS) for hydropower plants, Edge Analytics, is a Digital Hydro Plant solution that uses machine learning to turn the monitoring and maintenance process into valuable, actionable insight by collecting data. iCMS has the capability to generate up to one percent extra output.

If scaled across the world, this single solution is powerful enough to have a consequential impact on global electricity markets. In 2016, the global hydropower fleet produced 4,266 terawatt-hours (TWh), representing 17 percent of total global electricity generation ((IRENA), International Renewable Energy Agency, 2017). Thus, if the Digital Hydro Plant were to be applied across the global fleet, and electrical output was increased by 1 percent, then hydropower electricity generation would grow by 42 TWh. Increases in carbon-free hydropower displace other electricity sources that have a greater

“The digitization of hydropower will strengthen its role as a reliable, flexible, carbon-free source of electricity in the twenty-first century global power system.”Yves Rannou, President & CEO, GE Hydro Solutions

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


carbon content. If we assume that incremental hydropower displaces the average mix of electricity sources in each country, then the 42 TWh increase in hydropower output would result in reduction in global carbon emissions of 17 million metric tonnes (mt). That’s equivalent to taking 41 million passenger cars off the road.

That’s not all. The digitization of hydropower makes business sense as well. For example, iCMS can save as much as $4,000/MW/year in reduced maintenance costs, improved asset life and higher operational efficiency. Again, if we scale this across the global hydropower fleet, that translates to nearly $5 billion in operational cost savings per year.

Given hydropower’s ubiquitous role in electricity networks across the globe, new digital innovations will have ripple effects across the system. Incremental improvements in hydropower output could provide electricity to millions of people. This is particularly important in regions of the developed world where access to electricity is more limited. Furthermore, enhancements in hydropower’s ability to respond to variable generation from intermittent generation sources greatly expand the ability of electricity transmission grids to add new low-carbon options such as solar and wind power.

It is fitting that one of the first power generation technologies created in the nineteenth century is now at the vanguard of the digital revolution of the twenty-first century. The global reach of legacy hydropower infrastructure and a century of operating experience have positioned hydropower to expand its role in digitally transformed power networks of the future.

At GE, we are excited to play a role helping to enable the new world of digital hydropower come to fruition and humbled by the opportunity to transform the future of energy for the betterment of people and the planet.

“If just one of GE’s digital hydropower solutions is scaled globally, carbon dioxide emissions would drop by 17 million metric tons per year and hydropower plant owners will realize $5 billion in operations cost savings per year. That’s what Ecomagination is all about.”Debora Frodl, GE Ecomagination Global Executive Director


If just one Digital Hydro Plant application were to be scaled globally the result would be 42 TWh of incremental hydropower generation, $5 billion in annual operations cost savings for hydropower plant owners, and a reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions of 17 mt.

The global hydropower fleet represented 1,225 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in 2016. Hydropower plants generated 4,266 TWh of reliable, carbon-free electricity.

GE’s Digital Hydro Plant is a combination of hardware and software and is based on Predix™ — GE’s new software platform for the Industrial Internet.

Hydropower The Industrial Internet

Economic and Environmental Outcomes

Figure 1. The Digitization of Hydropower

GE’s Intelligent Condition Monitoring Systems (iCMS) for hydropower plants has the capability to enable power plants to generate one percent extra output. If this solution is scaled across the world, this would result in 42 TWh of incremental hydropower generation, a reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions of 17 mt per year, and $5 billion in annual cost savings for hydropower plant owners.

Source: GE estimates based on hypothetical scenario where iCMS is applied to all hydropower plants around the

world and provides a 1 percent increase in generation. Carbon dioxide emissions savings based on International

Energy Agency (IEA) country-level electricity carbon content estimates.

+ =42 TWh

$5 Bill

17 mt

Hydropower’s Digital Transformation

One of the world’s most established sources of electricity is getting a makeover using twenty-first century technologies. The lessons learned from the digitization of other industries such as media, retail, communications, healthcare and education are now being successfully applied to hydropower technologies. The digitization of hydropower will impact the global electric power system by providing both economic and environmental benefits across a range of electricity stakeholders from power plant owners to electricity consumers.

Hydropower has played a significant role as the leading source of renewable energy for over a century. More recently, hydropower’s role in the global energy mix has expanded both in terms of meeting the energy storage requirements attributable to the rapid growth in variable renewable technologies and as a source of clean energy.

In a world facing complex water and energy challenges as well as rapid population growth, the multiple benefits that hydropower can offer are needed more today than ever before. Furthermore, a large proportion of the world’s untapped hydropower resources are located in regions where new development has the greatest potential to positively affect people’s lives. However, many barriers to progress in developing countries remain, in particular

during the preparation phase of projects where it is crucial to ensure facilities are built in a sustainable way and in the right place.

Digitization has emerged in recent years to provide technological innovation and solutions that will optimize asset management and performance of existing and future hydropower facilities. For example, the digitization of hydropower systems is increasingly being implemented to allow hydro to work together with other renewable resources to provide increased flexibility and enhanced frequency modulation, and other ancillary services. Other digital innovations include cybersecurity, plant and fleet optimization, outage management, condition monitoring equipment and energy forecasting. Together, these innovations are providing hydropower asset owners with actionable insight from data to increase the value of hydropower assets.

INTRODUCTION

5


The power of falling water has been used to produce electricity for over 135 years. However, humans have been harnessing water to perform work for thousands of years. The Greeks used water wheels for grinding wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. The evolution of the modern hydropower turbine began in the mid-1700s when a French hydraulic and military engineer, Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique.

The world’s first hydroelectric project was used to power a single lamp in a country house in Northumberland, England, in 1878. In 1882, a second hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. The plant was initiated by Appleton paper manufacturer H.J. Rogers, who had been inspired by Thomas Edison’s Pearl Street Station, which began operating earlier the same year. While Edison’s Pearl Street Station used coal to create steam to drive its generators, the Appleton hydropower plant used the natural energy of the Fox River (International Hydropower Association (IHA), 2017).

By the turn of the 20th century, hydropower technology was spreading across the globe. Germany produced the first three-phase hydroelectric system in 1891, and Australia launched the first publicly-owned plant in the Southern Hemisphere in 1895. In the first half of the 20th century, the United States

and Canada led the way in hydropower engineering. At 1,345 MW, the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River became the world’s largest hydroelectric plant in 1936, only to be surpassed by the Grand Coulee Dam (1,974 MW at the time, 6,809 MW today) in Washington in 1942 (International Hydropower Association (IHA), 2017).

From the 1960s through to the 1980s, large hydropower facilities were developed in many countries including Norway, Canada, Japan, the USSR, and in Latin America. Over the last few decades, Brazil and China have become leaders in hydropower. The Itaipu Dam, straddling Brazil and Paraguay, opened in 1984 at 12,600 MW (it has since been enlarged and uprated to 14,000 MW), and is today only eclipsed in size by China’s 22,500 MW Three Gorges Dam, which opened in 2008 (International Hydropower Association (IHA), 2017).

As of 2016, the global hydropower fleet stands at 1,242 GW of installed capacity and generates 4,255 TWh of electricity annually, representing 17 percent of total global electricity generation ((IRENA), International Renewable Energy Agency, 2017). More importantly, hydropower plants are an essential part of electricity networks in 158 countries. Hydropower capacity exceeds 100 GW in China, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Russia, India, Norway, and Japan.

HYDROPOWER’SGROWING GLOBAL REACH


Since 2000, 462 GW of net hydropower capacity has been added around the world. China accounted for 55 percent of this increase, a reflection of the rapid growth in electricity demand in this country since 2000 ((IRENA), International Renewable Energy Agency, 2017). In fact, hydroelectric capacity has expanded in 181 countries since 2000, a sign of the growing importance of this vital natural resource. Drivers for hydropower’s growth include a general increase in demand, not just for electricity, but also for qualities such as reliable, clean and affordable power as countries seek to meet carbon reduction goals. The increase in pumped storage development signifies growing recognition of hydropower’s role in supporting energy systems, counterbalancing variable renewables such as wind and solar.

Hydropower very much remains a critical electricity generation source of the twenty-first century. Of particular importance is the role of pumped storage in the global power system. Hydroelectric pump storage capacity exceeded 120 GW in 2016 ((IRENA), International Renewable Energy Agency, 2017). This represents over 95 percent of all energy storage systems of all types installed globally (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, 2017). Given the need for greater flexibility, the importance of energy storage is expected to grow over time. Increasingly valuable, hydroelectric pumped storage systems will remain the foundation of electricity storage systems across the globe.

> 200 GW

> 100 GW

< 100 GW

Hydropower’s Digital Transformation8

Figure 2. Global hydropower capacity by technology type (2016)

In 2016, global hydropower installed capacity reached 1,225 GW. China, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and Russia have the most installed hydropower capacity.

Source. IRENA

Russia229,957

China1,510,221

Japan157,388

India193,666

France

Spain

Turkey

Spain

Norway169,897

Austria

Mexcio

Columbia

Paraguay

USA386,263

Canada475,816

Brazil514,309

Venezuela

Vietnam

Italy

Sweden

Switzerland

Hydro 1-10 MW

Hydro 10+ MW

Hydro <1 MW

Mixed plants

Pumped storage

Units in MW

SouthAfrica1,361

Figure 3. Net hydropower capacity additions by country (2000-2016)

Net hydropower capacity increased by 461 GW between 2000 and 2016. China accounted for 60 percent of this increase. Brazil, India, Turkey, Vietnam and Canada account for most of the rest.

China254,298

Asia

South America

North America

Europe

Africa

Eurasia

Units in MW

India22,110

Brazil36,946

Vietnam14,278

Canada13,365

Laos3,775

Korea3,332

USA3,838

Mexico 2,931

Chile2,266

Columbia 3,382

Zambia569

Ecuador2,703

Malaysia3,520

Turkey15,535

Japan 2,956

Russia7,370

Norway 3,784

France1,103

Italy1,956

Ethiopia 3,479

UK268

Austria1,771

Source. IRENA



GE developed the term “Industrial Internet” to refer to the Internet of Things (IoT) focused on industrial applications. The history of digital technologies in industrial applications can be traced back to 1959. That’s the year that Texaco’s Port Arthur refinery became the first chemical plant to use digital control. The Port Arthur refinery used an RW-300 mainframe manufactured by Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation and led the way in the development of industrial computer control.

Since that time, software has become increasingly integrated into industrial machinery. Industrial software advanced in successive generations. In the 1960s, the first generation of industrial software used large minicomputers with no connectivity to other systems. By the 1970s, second-generation software systems could be distributed across multiple connected stations. Network protocols were proprietary and not standardized during this period. By the 1990s, third-generation industrial control software was in use. These systems were distributed and networked, and could be spread across multiple local area networks and geographies, often with a single supervisor and historian.

The Internet was developed in parallel to the development of increasingly sophisticated industrial control software. The first nodes of what would

become the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) were established in 1969. ARPANET was the precursor to today’s Internet. In 1982, the Internet protocol (TCP/IP) was established. This standard enabled seamless communication between interconnected networks. The Internet grew to over 300,000 hosts by 1990. In 1991, after the ARPANET project was concluded, all commercial restrictions on the use of the Internet were removed. As is well known, the Internet blossomed into a global force for communications and retail commerce in the 1990s and 2000s. The world was transformed in a myriad of well-documented ways by the emergence of the Internet. By 2010, the number of Internet hosts exceeded 800 million.

In 1994, the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) was first developed. The basic idea was to affix sensors to common objects in order to connect these items to the Internet . This would create an interconnected universe where objects could reach 300 exabytes (10 to the power of 18) and be tracked and controlled remotely. In 1999, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) established the Auto-ID Center to conduct research focused on IoT. During the same year, the world’s first machine-to-machine protocol, MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT), was developed. By 2008, the first international IoT conference took place in Zürich.

INTRODUCINGTHE INDUSTRIALINTERNET

10


By 2010, improvements in information technologies enabled the IoT to be applied to industrial machinery. This led to the Industrial Internet, which is the fourth generation of industrial software systems. Technology advances include falling computing prices, the miniaturization of computers, increasing bandwidth, and the emergence of cloud computing. All of these technology trends together provided the tailwinds necessary to launch the Industrial Internet.

In 2011, GE announced its commitment to invest billions in industrial software and analytics capabilities. By 2016, GE’s annual rate of investment in this area reached $4 billion. In 2013, GE released Predix™, the first software platform for the Industrial Internet. By 2014, GE had developed 40 Industrial Internet applications in its Predictivity suite of solutions using the Predix™ platform. The Industrial Internet Consortium was founded in 2014 to further development, adoption, and widespread use of interconnected machines, intelligent analytics, and people at work.

The development of the Industrial Internet is a transformative milestone for industrial resource use because it adds a new dimension to resource productivity. Starting in the 1960s, first-generation industrial software systems could optimize resource

use at the machine level. In the 1970s and 1980s, interconnected second-generation industrial software enabled resources to be optimized at the facility level.

By the 1990s, fully networked third-generation industrial software systems enabled entire industrial enterprises to optimize their resource use. However, it is only with the emergence of the Industrial Internet that optimization can occur at the global level, across entire industrial networks like railway, airline, and electric power. The efficiency and operation of entire airline or railroad networks can be controlled with emerging Industrial Internet solutions. Likewise, entire electricity grids can be controlled and optimized with intelligent software solutions.

In 2016, GE leveraged the emerging Industrial Internet and introduced the Digital Hydro Plant. The Digital Hydro Plant is a unique blend of hydropower software and hardware, based on data analytics, to improve the performance of hydropower plants. The Digital Hydro Plant is built upon Predix™—GE’s Industrial Internet operating system.

GE’s Digital Hydro PlantInnovations in hydropower efficiency are surging into the digital space. To meet rising energy demands, other renewable sources are also adding to the capacity historically generated by hydropower plants. This mix of sources requires increased flexibility and accurate

data about the performance of hydropower turbines, plants and equipment. That’s why GE, the leading digital industrial company, has introduced the Digital Hydro Plant— a unique blend of hydropower software and hardware based on data analytics, to improve the performance of hydro plants,

create actionable insight from data, and increase profits.

GE’s digital hydropower innovations, including asset performance management, cybersecurity, plant and fleet optimization, outage management, condition monitoring equipment and energy forecasting, will help

customers build, operate and maintain hydroelectric plants at less cost. By controlling expenses and energy production, creating a more efficient hydro turbine and leveraging automation and data-driven maintenance, we are poised to take hydropower services to unprecedented levels.



1960 198019701950

1959Texaco’s Port Arthur refinery becomes the first chemical plant to use digital control.

1969The first nodes of what will become the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) are established. ARPANET was the precursor to today’s Internet.

1982The Internet protocol (TCP/IP) is established. This standard enabled seamless communication between interconnected networks.

1985The number of hosts on the Internet (all TCP/IP interconnected networks) reaches 2,000.

Figure 4. Industrial Internet Timeline

Industrial software systems have evolved over the last 50 years from monolithic systems that provided machine-level control, to today’s Industrial Internet, which facilitates resource optimization for global industrial networks.

Source: GE research, the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org).

1950s–1960s

MonolithicEnabled Machine-Level Resource Optimization

The first generation of industrial control software used large mini-computers connected to industrial ma-chines with no connectivity to other systems. They had limited security.

1970s–1980s

DistributedEnabled Facility-Level Resource Optimization

The second generation of industrial control software was distributed across multiple independent worksta-tions connected through proprietary communications protocols. They had limited security.

2000 202020101990

1990The Internet grows to over 300,000 hosts.

1991After the ARPANET project was concluded, all commercial restrictions on the use of the Internet are removed.

1994The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) is first developed. The basic idea was to affix sensors to common objects in order to connect these items to the Internet.

1999The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) establishes the Auto-ID Center to conduct research focused on IoT. During the same year, the world’s first machine-to-machine protocol, MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT), is developed.

2008 The first international IoT conference takes place in Zurich.

2010 The number of Internet hosts exceeds 800 million.

Improvements in information technologies enable the IoT to be applied to industrial machinery.

2012 GE announces its commitment to a $1 billion investment in software and analytics and launches the Software and Analytical Center of Excellence in California.

2013GE develops Predix™, the first software platform for the Industrial Internet.

2014GE’s portfolio grows to 31 Industrial Internet applications within its Predictivity suite of solutions using the Predix™ platform. The Industrial Internet Consortium is established to further the development, adoption, and widespread use of the Industrial Internet.

2015GE releases Predix™, the operating system of the Industrial Internet. Predix™ is a cloud-based platform designed for building and powering industrial-strength applications.

2015GE and Intel joined forces in order to leverage the power of ICT to help solve the world’s toughest global natural resource challenges.

2016GE releases the Digital Hydro Plant, a nimble suite of end-to-end apps that seamlessly integrates software intelligence into hardware assets and control systems to enable new economic outcomes and opportunities.

1990s–2000s

NetworkedEnabled Enterprise-Level Resource Optimization

The third generation of industrial control software were distributed and networked, and computers could be interconnected through a secure local area network (LAN). The systems spread across multiple LANs and across geographies.

2010s–Today

Industrial InternetEnables Global NetworkResource Optimization

Over the last decade, cloud computing, network bandwidth increases, hardware improvements, and software advances have enabled the emergence of the Industrial Internet.



The digitization of hydropower has the potential to positively impact hydropower plants in four key areas.

MODERNIZATION OF EXISTING HYDROPOWER

ASSETS

Asset management is becoming increasingly challenging across the sector as a growing number of hydropower assets need to be refurbished. Digitization will help to ensure that the role of hydropower as a flexible, renewable energy resource is optimized within the context of planning and operation of both existing and future energy systems. Currently, digitization has already been deployed in the modernization of existing hydropower assets to improve overall unit efficiency through upgrades to turbines, draft tubes and other associated equipment.

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COST OF

EXISTING AND FUTURE SYSTEMS

As part of overall maintenance of existing assets, new and emerging analytics have been developed that can optimize unit maintenance to reduce O&M costs through reduced outage time, while extending the life of the asset.

DIGITIZATION TO ENABLE HYDRO AND OTHER

RENEWABLES TO WORK TOGETHER

As the deployment of intermittent renewable energy resources continues to grow at an accelerated pace, the need for energy storage continues to grow. Increasing the share of intermittent renewables

such as wind and solar inherently reduces the flexibility of a power system. By its very nature, high variable renewable penetration makes the supply-side more dynamic and fluctuations more severe, while also displacing existing flexible technologies.

Currently, pumped-storage hydropower systems (PHS) remain the primary technology used to provide electricity storage services to the grid, accounting for over 95 percent of global storage capacity. PHS first saw commercial use in the early 20th century. PHS experienced a surge in new capacity beginning in the 1970s and 1980s as a reaction to energy security concerns, and to balance baseload power produced from nuclear power plants. At that time, PHS allowed for constant and efficient baseload generation, absorbing excess power at night and feeding it back to the grid during peak daytime hours.

As more intermittent resources such as solar and wind are connected to power grids, shifts in supply and demand are becoming more dynamic in magnitude and time. Solar power available during daytime reduces the midday peak, while fluctuations in wind speeds throughout the day create more fluctuations in the short term. While traditional storage systems were able to time shift electricity, i.e., charging (pumping) at night and generating during the day for a single cycle, storage systems now may need to cycle multiple times in a day, or not at all for a few days, depending on weather conditions.

EXPLORINGHYDROPOWER’SDIGITAL POTENTIAL

13


Traditional PHS-dominated storage systems are mainly used for time shifting (arbitrage) of electric energy. As variable renewables reduce the need for time-shifting, new technologies are fast emerging, offering an increased range of flexibility applications aimed at integrating variable renewables into the system. Other storage services are becoming more prominent, including maintaining power quality by regulating frequency and voltage.

PHS are now evolving to be able to balance the increased fluctuations in the system. In traditional PHS, power regulation is only available when generating. Variable speed PHS are being implemented to increase plant efficiency and flexibility by allowing for power regulation in both pumping and turbine mode. Ternary systems consisting of a motor-generator and separate pump and turbine set, can allow for simultaneous pumping and generating, which allows for even finer frequency control.

These new systems will benefit from digitization to provide enhanced control systems to allow hydro and intermittent renewable technologies such as wind power or solar PV to operate in the most optimal way—advanced operating procedures will optimize reserve capacity and improve flexibility of conventional hydro generation to manage intermittency and variability.

CONDITION MONITORING

Hydropower, as one of the largest and most efficient renewable energy sources available, contributes to grid stability thanks to its scale of production and its flexibility. Adaptability also makes it a key technology for integrating other intermittent renewable sources of energy into the grid. In this context, hydro utility companies are changing the way they operate their plants, switching from baseload to more flexible power production. Intelligent condition monitoring and diagnostics become crucial.

To adapt to this changing production mode, hydropower plant operators are looking at expanding the time between plant overhauls (TBO) and shortening the mean time for repair (TTM). A monitoring system intelligent enough to track the health of the plant to detect failures before they happen— so that the plants can be repaired at the best possible time to minimize downtime —is of very high value. Internet-enabled Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS), such as GE’s iCMS, can solve this challenge by remotely collecting real-time data and analyzing it to improve diagnostics and prognostics on faults in the plant that the monitoring system has identified.

19

Digital Hydropower in Action

In December 2015, Pont Baldy,

a hydropower plant operated by

Energie Développement Services du

Briançonnais (EDSB) in southeast

France, was connected to GE’s new

generation Condition Monitoring

System (CMS) called iCMS. The new

system remotely collects real-time

data that GE analyzes to improve

diagnostics and prognostics on faults

in the plant that the monitoring

system has identified.

The iCMS has been collecting and

analyzing almost 2 Terabytes of raw

data per month that are combined

with 3 years’ worth of previously-

collected data. Thanks to analysis

which has evolved into predictive

models, faults and maintenance

operations can then be identified

automatically through a Human-

to-Machine Interface (HMI) that

gives recommendations on what

to do for each diagnosis. Faulty

components are easily detected and

the HMI helpfully brings up any related

documents, manuals and reports to

make the repair process as smooth

and as fast as possible.

For example, the Pont Baldy plant had

a bearing that was running hot. iCMS

diagnosed the cause and concluded

that no action was needed, saving

time and the expense of unnecessary

repair. Overall, the iCMS can deliver

up to 1 percent additional output

for the power plant. GE’s iCMS, the

‘on premise’ part of the GE Asset

Performance Management (APM)

solution, uses machine learning and

innovation to turn monitoring and

maintenance into a success story.



Hydropower is well positioned to continue to provide reliable, renewable and sustainable energy. The digitization of hydropower plants, control systems and surrounding networks is an emerging industry trend that promises to optimize asset management and perfor-mance. The net result will be an increase in output, reduction in costs and expansion of hydropower capabilities.

Given hydropower’s ubiquitous role in electricity networks across the globe, new digital innovations will have ripple effects across the system. Incremental improvements in hydropower output could provide new electricity to millions of people. Furthermore, enhancements in hydropower’s ability to respond to variable generation from intermittent generation sources would greatly expand the ability of grids to add new low-carbon intermittent options such as solar and wind power.

It is fitting that one of the first power generation technologies created in the nineteenth century is now at the vanguard of the digital revolution of the twenty-first century. The global reach of legacy hydropower infrastructure and a century of operating experience have positioned hydropower to expand its role in digitally transformed power networks of the future. We are excited to play a role in helping to enable the new world of digital hydropower come to fruition, and are humbled by the opportunity to transform the future of energy for the betterment of people and the planet.

CONCLUSION


GE Renewable Energy (gerenewableenergy.com) is a $10 billion company bringing together one of the broadest product and service portfolios of the renewable energy industry. As one of the world’s most experienced renewable power equipment manufacturers, we have been driving the evolution of products and technologies for more than 125 years.

With more than 22,000 employees across more than 55 countries, GE Renewable Energy is backed by the resources of the world’s first digital industrial company. We take the earth’s most abundant resources— the strength of the wind, the force of water, and the heat of the sun— and put them to work with breakthrough technology that unleashes their true possibilities.

Combining onshore and offshore wind, hydro and innovative technologies such as concentrated solar power and more recently turbine blades, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 400+ gigawatts capacity globally to make the world work better and cleaner. Our tailored solutions range from single component to full turnkey power plants. Taking advantage of our long-standing engineering procurement construction experience, we can offer outstanding project management capabilities.

GE’s global hydropower footprint is broad. With 352 GW of capacity installed in 125 countries, GE hydropower plants generate over 1,200 TWh of electricity annually. GE hydro turbines and generators contribute to over 25% of the hydropower worldwide production.

GE RENEWABLEENERGY

Hydropower’s Digital Transformation17

Figure 5. GE’s global hydropower fleet

GE’s global hydropower fleet boasts an installed capacity of over 340 GW in 125 countries. GE’s biggest footprint is in China, Brazil, Canada, Norway, and France.

China62.2

Brazil50.3

U.S.

Canada28.6

Sweden13.1

Norway27.8

France23.3

Spain13.9 Turkey

Italy

India

Iran

Mexico

Venezuela

Russia

Austria

Switzerland12.2

Japan

Columbia

Vietnam

GE Total Hydropower Capacity Units in MW

Source. IRENA

65 MW

25 MW

15 MW


As a 125-year old technology company, GE has always believed in progress, investing, and taking risks to improve technology and build a brighter future for our customers and the world around us. From the invention of the first practical incandescent light bulb to building America’s first central power station, the GE tradition of life-changing innovation is unparalleled.

Twelve years ago, with a vision to make a global impact on environmental outcomes and economic growth, GE decided to redefine what it means to be environmentally focused. In 2005 we launched GE Ecomagination (ecomagination.com) to provide advanced technology solutions that improve resource efficiency and economics for our customers, and improve efficiency in our own operations. See Figure 6.

The GE Ecomagination portfolio is comprised of 74 GE products and solutions that deliver significant improvements in operational and environmental performance compared to a baseline. The products span the GE portfolio and include hardware and software applications – among them several grid solutions technologies. In 2017, GE Ecomagination welcomed a suite of GE Renewable Energy’s hydropower technologies to the Ecomagination portfolio. These include: Upstream Elbow Tubular Kaplan, Composite Stay Vane Extension, Oil-Free Hub for Double Regulated Turbines, and Hydrostatic Water Guide Bearing.

GE ECOMAGINATION


2007 201120092005

2005GE creates the Ecomagination product review scorecard, which quantifies a product’s or solution’s environmental benefits.

2005GE surpasses 5,000 installations for its 1.5-megawatt wind turbine.

2006GE increases its annual investment in clean R&D from $700 to $900 million and expands research on renewable energy, clean coal, carbon captures, water, and energy efficiency.

2006GE launches Ecomagination in China, nearly 100 years since GE first began working in the country.

2007GE Transportation’s partner United Group Rail delivers ten Evolution Series locomotives to Rio Tinto Iron Ore, bringing advanced locomotive technology to an energy-intensive industry.

2007GEnx becomes the fastest-selling engine in aviation history and offers up to 15% better fuel consumption compared to GE’s CF6 engine. Emirates, an airline based in Dubai, is among those GE customers that have chosen GEnx engines to power their fleets.

2007GE Energy’s Jenbacher gas engines power Japan’s largest wood-based gas-to-energy plant.

2010ProficyTM, a software platform for measuring and managing the efficiency of manufacturing operations, is included in the Ecomaginaton portfolio.

2011Ecomagination opens GE to outside innovation through the Ecomagination Challenge, collaborating with venture capital firms to help bring exciting new energy technologies to the world.

2009GE surpasses its clean tech R&D goal of $1.5 billion one year early.

2010GE commits to buying 25,000 alternative fuel vehicles by 2015 to use in its fleets and fleet-services business in 2010.

2010Ecomagination software solution Movement PlannerTM makes it possible for trains to move more freight faster and more efficiently on existing rail lines.

Figure 6. Ecomagination Timeline

GE’s Ecomagination initiative, launched in 2005, led to the development of ultraefficient technologies that have provided resource productivity improvements across industries. Looking ahead, Ecomagination and the Industrial Internet promise to unleash accelerated resource productivity improvements.

2005-2007

First Generation Goals

In 2005, GE launched Ecomagination, its commitment and strategy to solve the world’s biggest energy and environmental challenges

GE commits to: 1. Doubling its investment in clean research and development (R&D) from $700 million/year to $1.5 billion/year by 2010.2. Growing revenues from Ecomagination products to at least $20 billion.3. Reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 1% by 2012.4. Reducing its global water use by 20% between 2006 and 2012.

2010

Journey

1. $7 billion invested in clean R&D.2. $85 billion in Ecomagination product revenue.3. 22% reduction in GE’s GHG emissions from the 2004 baseline.4. 30% reduction in water use from the 2006 baseline.

$1.5b

Source: GE research, the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org).

2014 201720152012

2012Ecomagination Nation (a global GE power and water initiative designed to protect the environment by encouraging employees to take action) gains increasing momentum within GE.

2013Ecomagination launches BrilliantTM Wind, a renewable energy system comprised of a wind turbine, battery, and software. The system harnesses the power of the Industrial Internet and reaps the benefits of energy storage without the high costs.

2014GE opens the Ecomagination center in Masdar City, United Arab Emirates.

2014GE provides its ZeeWeed™ 1500 ultrafiltration system to the Santa Eufemia water treatment plant in Northern Portugal.

2014 San Diego becomes the first city to install LightGrid™, GE’s wireless lighting control system.

2014GE invests a cumulative $15 billion in clean R&D.

2014 GE’s Industrial Internet solutions are added to the Ecomagination portfolio.

2015Celebrated 10 Year Ecomagination Anniversary with new industrial partners.

2015Digital Wind Farm has the potential to boost energy production up to 20%.

2016Utility Scale Silicon Carbide Solar Inverter is 99% efficient.

2016Block Island – first US offshore wind project.

2016Fortune Magazine namesGE Ecomagination number 3 in its Change the World list.

2016First Ecomagination hackathon with California State University to reduce energy and water waste.

2017GE wins Zayed Future Energy Prize.

GE Ecomagination welcomes a suite of GE Renewable Energy’s hydropower technologies to the Ecomagination portfolio. These include: Upstream Elbow Tubular Kaplan, Composite Stay Vane Extension, Oil-Free Hub for Double Regulated Turbines, and Hydrostatic Water Guide Bearing.

2014

Success and Second Generation Goals

1. $15 billion invested in clean R&D.2. $200 billion in Ecomagination product revenue.3. 31% reduction in GE’s GHG emissions from the 2004 baseline.4. 42% reduction in GE’s water use from the 2006 baseline.

2016

Industrial Internet

1. $20 billion cumulative investment in clean R&D.2. $270 billion cumulative revenue from Ecomagination products3. 74 Ecomagination qualified solutions

$15b


REFERENCES

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). 2017. RESource.Retrieved from http://resourceirena.irena.org/gateway/dashboard.

International Hydropower Association (IHA). 2017. A brief history ofhydropower. Retrieved from https://www.hydropower.org/a-briefhistory-of-hydropower.

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy.Reliability. 2017. DOE Global Energy Storage Database. Retrieved from http://www.energystorageexchange.org.

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and RenewableEnergy, Water Power Technologies Office. 2017. History of Hydropower. Retrieved from https://energy.gov/eere/water/history-hydropower.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank our partners at the International Hydropower Association (IHA) for their commitment to hydropower and their shared vision for hydropower’s digital future. We’d like to thank Richard Taylor (IHA Executive Director) and Bill Grilling (IHA Hydropower Development Director) for providing input and insight related to the digitization of hydropower.

Hydropower’s Digital Transformation - ge.com · and Canada led the way in hydropower engineering....

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