Global technology and consulting company Indra has been awarded a contract by Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) to implement InGRID, an integrated grid management system for the utilities sector.
Image: A transmission tower. Photo: courtesy of Indra.
The project involves updating the grid management system implemented by Indra in 1996 and forms part of KPLC’s upgrade program for its main business systems that was launched two years ago with the implementation of InCMS, the commercial management system developed by the technology and consulting company, which currently manages more than seven million customers in Kenya.
The implementation of InGRID will help grow the revenues of KPLC while cutting grid management costs because the system reduces power outage times by streamlining the identification of incidents in assets and determining the optimal routes for field teams to access different points in the grid. The objective is to guarantee that the growth in grid assets—such as lines, transformers and supply points—and customers does not affect incident response and resolution times.
The solution will integrate seamlessly with KPLC’s other business systems and will include mobility technology to facilitate the integration of work orders into the vehicle management system that assigns orders in real time depending on the brigade’s location and specialization.
The project scope includes updating IGEA, Indra’s geographic information system, by adding tools to gather information from the grid and facilitate access through mobile devices. It will also provide digital training solutions to simulate the operation of the grid in different scenarios.
Lastly, Indra will harness its experience in different smart grid initiatives to pilot an advanced grid management system at a group of substations, monitoring their output in real time and using Internet of Things (IoT) devices to detect events liable to endanger these assets. As an added benefit, the cost of the solution is much lower than traditional SCADA communication systems.
InGRID records service outage reports from customers and automatically creates incident logs for management by company operating centers. In addition, the platform systematically monitors energy flows, identifying any losses by measuring general grid readings and consumption at supply points. It also analyzes the potential for consumption irregularities and classifies grid zones based on loss levels and progress over time.
Source: Company Press Release