Articles

The future of O&M is digital

Delivering immediate impact and long-term value is at the core of operational strategies in the power and water sector. Today, digitalization and automation have important roles to play in optimizing costs and ensuring operational efficiencies.

Experts in power and water asset management discussed key aspects to improving efficiencies through strong operational and maintenance (O&M) strategies at the World Future Energy Summit on January 16. Today, digitalization delivers sizeable benefits to the O&M aspect of businesses and has taken center stage for delivering long-term value for stakeholders.

Asset management is all about information, and technology has helped make real-time data more accessible. Hanan Balalaa, UAE & GCC Power and Water Portfolio Manager at TAQA, said technologies such as an e-monitoring tool enable operators to review and manage plant performance. Companies can now detect equipment failures or plant deteriorations, allowing for more preventative maintenance rather than reactive measures – critical to ensuring seamless operations and optimizing costs.

Automated solutions are also gaining traction in the power and water sector. Such tools improve plant performance and workplace safety. According to Hanan Balalaa, “Historically, a single technician used to service around 15 million imperial gallons of water per day (MIGD) of water capacity. Today, through process automation, a single technician can service between 40 to 60 MIGD of water capacity, more than doubling the efficiency.” Repetitive or labor-intensive tasks that can be potentially unsafe are increasingly relegated to machines. As a result, automation also allows companies to reduce risk of human error while also improving operational safety.

Technology is continuously changing industries across the board, and that’s especially true for the energy sector. As stakeholders seek to optimize costs and operational efficiencies, these types of tools will help both asset managers and O&M companies.

Lifecycle asset management: How O&M strategies can improve operational efficiency

January 16 at 11:10 am at the World Future Energy Summit

Moderator: Robert Bryniak, CEO, Golden Sands Management

Panelists:

• Mohammed Eid Ibrahim, Water O&M Division Manager, Al Ain Distribution Company
• Hanan Balalaa, UAE & GCC Power and Water Portfolio Manager, TAQA
• Judy Anderson, Asset Management Global Practice Leader, Mott MacDonald