GE Power’s Grid Solution business has been awarded a contract by Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to provide software that serves as a single platform for grid control centers in Gaborone and Francistown.
Image: Officials from GE and Botswana Power. Photo: courtesy of General Electric.
Under the contract, GE will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a SCADA/Energy Management system at the principal grid control centers in BPC’s headquarters in Gaborone and the back-up control center in Francistown.
The SCADA/Energy Management system is intended to help BPC to improve customer service, reduce down-time and improve grid efficiency.
Botswana Power CEO Dr Stefan Schwarzfischer said that the platform’s functionalities will improve customer services by leveraging its existing customer call system, reduce down-time, improve revenue collection as well as overall customer satisfaction.
“Once the project is completed, BPC will benefit from a single platform for both Gaborone and Francistown.”
GE said that the contract expands its software leadership in Energy Management Systems (EMS) in Southern Africa.
GE Grid Solutions, Sub-Saharan Africa CEO Lazarus Angbazo said: “GE technology will bring reliable, efficient and sustainable electricity, using cutting edge digital solutions while powering the country forward.
“This project marks the beginning of a rewarding partnership with BPC, reinforces GE’s commitment to support the government of Botswana in its digital transformation process and will further expand GE’s leadership on the Energy Management Systems market in Southern Africa where more than 50% of the Transmission utilities are relying on GE’s Advanced Energy Management System (EMS) Solution Platform to operate their networks.”
GE Power chief digital officer Steven Martin, said that the its Digital Energy software portfolio, including Advanced EMS, supports new customers such as BPC in parts of the world to help meet electricity demand.
“We are inspired by the digital strategies that BPC has created to ensure its communities grow and thrive in a time of intensive change and opportunity within the energy sector.”
The Grid Solutions business of GE Power offers complete, engineered solutions for high voltage (HV) substations to power generation companies, utilities, and industries.