Drax
Drax optimizes renewable energy production with AVEVA PI System and CONNECT
Drax, the UK's largest renewable electricity generator and a global bioenergy player, needed to get far more out of its existing data. Manual retrieval took at least thirty minutes, volumes exceeded Excel's capabilities and data scientists had no suitable tool to work with live data. By replacing its legacy systems with AVEVA PI System coupled with AVEVA CONNECT, Drax increased the volume of accessible data tenfold, from a few million to several tens of millions of records per month. Engineers now have near real-time data to build accurate predictive models and anticipate failures. Breakdowns are replaced by planned repairs, protecting a large number of assets through analytical alarms and improved planning. Projected savings amount to millions of pounds sterling for each day of downtime avoided.
Integrated AVEVA software
AVEVA PI System
Drax uses AVEVA PI System to monitor its biomass power generation plants. This platform collects performance data in real time, enabling energy efficiency optimization and a successful transition to renewable energy.
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AVEVA CONNECT
Drax relies on AVEVA CONNECT to access its industrial data from the cloud. This platform enables performance information to be shared with distributed teams and leverages AI for advanced predictive analytics.
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FAQ
How does AVEVA PI System increase the volume of usable data tenfold?
Before AVEVA PI System, Drax retrieved its data manually in no less than 30 minutes, and the volumes exceeded Excel's capacity. By deploying PI System together with AVEVA CONNECT, Drax eliminated errors related to raw data and increased the number of accessible data points tenfold. Engineers now have a real-time repository of tens of millions of records per month, an essential foundation for predictive maintenance and continuous optimization of a bioenergy fleet.
Why is AVEVA CONNECT strategic for an energy producer's data scientists?
Drax's data scientists had no tools to exploit live data. AVEVA CONNECT offers a cloud platform for secure access to contextualized industrial data from PI System. Teams can build accurate predictive models, automate data ingestion and collaborate across the group. It is an accelerator of digital transformation in the energy sector, where value now lies in the ability to turn real-time data into operational decisions.
How can blockages in pellet pipes be avoided with predictive analytics?
Drax continuously monitors pressure readings in its pellet pipes via AVEVA PI System. Predictive models detect the early warning signs of a blockage before it occurs. Alarms based on statistical analysis allow operators to plan an intervention before an unscheduled generator shutdown. This approach shifts maintenance from a curative to a predictive logic, protecting a large number of critical assets for renewable electricity generation.
What ROI can be expected from predictive maintenance in a bioenergy plant?
Drax projects savings of several million pounds sterling for every day of downtime avoided. AVEVA PI System and CONNECT make it possible to replace unexpected failures with planned repairs, drastically reducing production losses. For the UK's largest renewable electricity provider, every additional day of availability represents considerable value creation and strengthens the reliability of the national energy mix in a demanding energy transition context.
How can data science use cases be industrialized in the energy sector?
AVEVA PI System provides Drax with a standardized, contextualized industrial data infrastructure on which data scientists build reusable models. The CONNECT platform then makes it possible to deploy these models in production and share them between sites. This industrialized approach multiplies use cases at lower cost: predictive maintenance, energy optimization and failure prevention. It is an essential organizational model for energy producers committed to an ambitious digital transformation.