By 2050, the Netherlands aims to be using energy from sustainable sources only. Gasunie, as the country’s leading energy network operator, plays a significant role in achieving this. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure AGMS platform is helping Gasunie manage the complexities of the country’s energy transition.
The challenge
Over the past decades, Gasunie has developed one of Europe’s largest gas transport networks. To control this network, they also developed their own software platform in the late 1980s, Argos. But as their network became increasingly complex, Gasunie needed a more sophisticated solution.
“Because of the energy transition, we will be transporting more and more green gas and green hydrogen in addition to natural gas, as well as transporting heat and CO2,” says Georg Herder, IT Manager Energy Transport at Gasunie. “The new platform has to manage these much more complex dynamics, while also taking a big step forward with automation, user experience and security.”
The partnership
For Gasunie, ensuring reliability and efficiency in their operations is crucial. That’s why, after a lengthy and rigorous selection process, they chose Schneider Electric to develop the new platform.
“Schneider has a great track record in the type of energy network management systems we needed,” Herder explains. “Moreover, Schneider previously developed a similar system for managing power grids. Their employees brought tremendous expertise. The close collaboration between the Gasunie and Schneider Electric teams, with regular in-person meetings, created a productive atmosphere and a shared sense of ownership.”
The solution: The new EcoStruxure AGMS platform
After a three-year development process, the new EcoStruxure Advanced Gas Management System (AGMS) went live in 2018.
“Through the integrated software platform, we can control the entire network from one central control room. The Geographic Information System (GIS) provides detailed daily information about the network,” Herder shares.
The platform’s standard open interface allows it to efficiently integrate with other systems. “Among other things, this means that cross-functional processes can be better coordinated and digitalized. Over the past seven years, we have been able to accelerate digitalization across our company.”
The impact
A modern and accessible user interface
The new user interface is highly intuitive and user-friendly. The interface shows not only the network’s real-time status, but it also displays information from other connected systems.
For example, dispatchers now see all gas flows (natural gas, green gas, hydrogen, nitrogen) displayed in color. In addition, they get geographic data, technical documentation, and up-to-date information about the network’s physical infrastructure. This helps Gasunie’s employees make decisions about shutdowns and maintenance.
Strengthened teamwork
Many experts across Gasunie work daily to manage, maintain, repair and expand the gas network.
“They used to work on multiple, unconnected systems. The AGMS system brings all these different worlds, systems and information together, and makes it much easier to collaborate on complex projects,” Herder shares.
Productivity and efficiency gains
“Many tasks that dispatchers previously had to do manually can now be automated,” Herder says. “Thanks to the integration with various other Gasunie systems, the AGMS system can now also retrieve a lot of the required information automatically.” Because of the platform’s analytical capabilities, it will also be able to perform more and more tasks autonomously and proactively in the future.
Proactive management and intervention
By aggregating and analyzing data streams from sensors and other sources, the EcoStruxure AGMS system can predict the network’s condition up to 48 hours in advance. This allows dispatchers to take proactive action to prevent crises.
Through analyzing historical data, sensor data and current weather data, the AGMS system can also predict gas demand. Based on that analysis, the system provides insight into the best times to deploy energy-intensive resources such as compression, helping the company reduce costs.
Enhanced training and decision-making
The platform’s users will soon also be able to make operational choices based on various simulated scenarios.
“In addition, we can prepare for major maintenance or network expansion as efficiently as possible,” says Herder. “Another application is the so-called ‘study mode,’ in which we can simulate, for example, extreme cold and other special situations. This is very valuable for training dispatchers, who otherwise rarely experience this. Thanks in part to this feature, we can reduce training time for new dispatchers.”
Future-ready operations with EcoStruxure AGMS
The AGMS system enables Gasunie to respond safely and efficiently to the complex demands of the Dutch energy transition. “The work of our employees has become more pleasant, simple and interesting,” says Herder.
“We have already been able to automate routine tasks and expect to continue doing so in the future, partly with the use of AI.”
The solution is also helping Gasunie achieve their sustainability targets. In the next 5 years, Gasunie estimates a reduction in CO2 emissions by 25 megatonnes through EcoStruxure AGMS.
For more information
Watch this video to learn more about the partnership between Gasunie and Schneider Electric.
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