Power

Meeting needs for digital solutions in the power industry

11th May 2017
Anna Flockett
0

After seeing a gap in the market, former ABB colleagues Eitan Frankental and Magnus Lindström, started GridZupport with ABB veteran Carl-Johan Linér. The company develops digital solutions that coordinate information for power stations. This gives the customer a better overall picture, safer operation and increased productivity – all which contribute to a sustainable environment.

There is a wealth of information in the industry, like plans, reports, analyses and notes. But the information is stored in separate islands, and in many cases documented on paper. Through a modern digital system, information can be stored and coordinated in a more effective way. Customers gain a clear and continuously updated overview of the power station's status.

“Our solution creates better conditions for more efficient processes, and to switch to a condition-based maintenance instead of time-based. Digitisation means that the number of interruptions is reduced, the operation becomes safer and more efficient, which means that productivity is increased,” said Eitan Frankeltal, Managing Director.

GridZupport’s system for digital solutions enables relevant information to be stored efficiently, and to always be available for making well-informed decisions. It gives both energy and resource savings – and on the whole, a better business performance.

“This is an exciting business area, where small and fast entrepreneurs can change the future of the power industry. The field of digital improvements is especially interesting for businesses in this kind of traditional environment,” said Carl-Johan Linér, Partner and Chairman of the board.

“The system with digital solutions is already in operation at a number of power utilities in Sweden. During 2017, the system will be offered globally,” explains Magnus Lindström, who is responsible for the development of the system.

Andreas Stubelius, responsible for business development at the Swedish Energy Agency, confirms the changes that the power industry faces. He believes that GridZupport is part of the digital revolution that has started in the industry, and whose offer will be in great demand now when the market begins to mature, parallel to the large need for energy efficiency.

Stubeliu said: “Digitisation means that a whole new world opens up in an industry that virtually stood still for 60 years. Entrepreneurs like GridZupport are needed to bring about a healthy change in the industry's operating efficiency. Global power companies can’t keep up with the pace of innovation, and our Swedish entrepreneurs are needed to drive development.”

VB Elnät, one of GridZupport’s customers, has already noticed a significant improvement with the digital solution in the transition to a more condition-based maintenance.

“With the digital tools we’re getting a better overview of our facilities, and can deploy resources for maintenance and supervision when they’re really needed. I expect a 20% cost savings already in 2017,” said Peter Ydersten, Managing Director of VB Elnät.

“There’s a lot of talk about the industrial 4.0 revolution and the Internet of Things, that is, products that communicate with each other and with people. It's the future. Our goal is to drive the digital evolution forward – helping power utilities and companies in the petrochemical, paper, steel, and oil/gas industries,” concluded Frankental.

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