N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (Gasunie), a European gas infrastructure company, has partnered with Accenture to deploy a new digital natural gas transport management system (GTMS), in Netherlands.
Image: GTMS enables the monitoring and control of the Dutch gas grid, based on advanced gas management system software from Schneider Electric. Photo: Courtesy of LEEROY Agency from Pixabay.
Gasunie said that the GTMS was designed to help better manage the Dutch gas grid, which transports natural gas, hydrogen and green gas from biomass.
The new GTMS system is operating at the nation’s critical and complex gas infrastructure to provide control-room dispatchers and maintenance personnel with accurate information at the right time, throughout the day.
The company said that the GTMS enables the monitoring and control of the Dutch gas grid, based on advanced gas management system software from Schneider Electric, a provider of digital transformation of energy management and automation.
Both the companies have worked closely to design, build, deploy and operate the new digital system, which included implementing the functional architecture and applications and migrating data from the prior system.
Gasunie control room replacement program manager Eddie Lycklama à Nijeholt said: “We are delighted to be working with Accenture on our new gas transport management system, which we believe will provide us with a strong foundation for the future. Accenture has played a crucial role in delivering this complex project on time and on budget, using its industry knowledge and digital capabilities.”
The GTMS includes new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Gas Management System (GMS) functions which allows all communication with Gasunie assets and equipment remotely, similar to Distribution Management Systems (DMS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) in electricity grids.
In addition, GTMS generates insights and notifications based on the data gathered and provides operators with information needed to operate the gas grid from the central control room in Groningen.
The GTMS also provides Gasunie with real-time insights into the high-pressure gas grid, demand forecasting as far ahead as 48 hours, and simulation of gas flow and composition, which together enables the company to enhance its operational capabilities and conduct maintenance more effectively.
Gasunie asset management director Transport Services Jeroen Zanting said: “The new system provides a state-of-the-art platform that is flexible and equips us well for the future. This is a direct result of the strategic relationship we have had with Accenture since 2010.
“While our old system served us well for more than two decades, the new solution will provide our operators with better tools and more timely information to ensure better decision-making and ultimately a safer and more-secure gas network.”