Connected Plant

In a move that supports Bruce Power’s vision of providing reliable electricity to Ontario until 2064, Rolls-Royce has signed a memorandum of understanding to be Bruce Power’s digital partner. This new agreement expands the two companies’ current T-104 program, which has exceeded its value delivery targets since starting in 2017. Rolls-Royce and Bruce Power will […]

The New York Power Authority’s Integrated Smart Operations Center (iSOC) is the first step in the public power utility’s goal to become the first end-to-end digital electricity system. And it’s a big

The safe transportation of transformers, gas turbines, generators, and other electrical production equipment is a vital component in suppliers’ current business models and future growth potential. Equipment

A bill codifying the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) role in addressing industrial control systems (ICS) cybersecurity has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives. While H.R. 5733, “DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act,” contains no mandates for the private sector, it directs the DHS’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) to develop and maintain […]

Tests of a boiler combustion tuning system employing artificial intelligence (AI) at a Taiwanese coal-fired power unit verify improvements to fuel economy that could ultimately reduce costs by up to $1 million annually, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) announced on June 11. Verification testing of the AI-enabled combustion tuning system was conducted at Unit 2 […]

Seeq expands machine learning and publishing functionality in new R20 release, and adds new Managing Director for European Sales office. SEATTLE, June 5, 2018 – Seeq Corporation announces the release of its second update to their Seeq software application in 2018, staying on plan to provide four new releases each year. Seeq is an advanced […]

Service delivery models are today undergoing unprecedented change to accommodate the needs of customers trying to navigate business and market uncertainties. Around the world, industrial manufacturers are facing new and familiar challenges ranging from economic and competitive pressures and the tightening availability of resources, to aging workforces, rising technology and operating costs, and heightened focus […]

On May 14, 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability released its Multiyear Plan for Energy Sector Cybersecurity (“Plan”). The Plan is significantly guided by DOE’s 2006 Roadmap to Secure Control Systems in the Energy Sector and 2011 Roadmap to Achieve Energy Delivery Systems Cybersecurity. Taken together with DOE’s […]

A relatively new cyberattack threat activity group dubbed “XENOTIME” is intent on compromising and disrupting industry safety instrumented systems globally, and cybersecurity experts are warning it is “easily the most dangerous threat activity publicly known.” According to  global industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc., XENOTIME is behind TRISIS (also known as TRITON), the […]

Cybersecurity threats are outpacing the energy sector’s “best defenses,” and costs of preventing and responding to cyber incidents are straining company efforts to protect critical infrastructure, the Department of Energy (DOE) warned as it released a comprehensive five-year cybersecurity strategy for the industry. The Multiyear Plan for Energy Sector Cybersecurity, dated March 2018 but which […]

A three-year-long initiative spearheaded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in collaboration with industry has yielded a blueprint that establishes best operational and safety practices and recommended technologies for flying commercial drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). As part of the FAA’s 2015-chartered Pathfinder Initiative, the agency partnered with three private companies to […]

Malware-based attacks against utilities and power plants are increasing six-fold according to a recent federal report. Power plants have become an appealing target because of a lack of detection and monitoring

As data volume, variety, and velocity continue to accelerate, power plant operators increasingly encounter situations where 2-D desktop data visualization is insufficient to convey context for advanced

(April 27, 2018) — Kansai Electric Power and OSIsoft LLC unveiled a venture to help power producers improve the efficiency and operation of their thermal power plants with data. Kansai Electric Power will collaborate with its customers at every stage, from planning a new thermal plant to running a facility. The Kansai-Value Creation Service, or […]

Lawmakers, industry, and government entities, including the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this week released a string of measures responding to mounting cybersecurity attacks by state-sponsored actors. A Revised Cybersecurity Framework On April 16, the Commerce Department’s NIST, a federal standards laboratory, released an updated version of […]

  Defense-in-depth is a concept that is already widely deployed by many organizations within their IT infrastructures. However, many organizations do not apply it to their industrial control system (ICS) operations, owing mostly to obscure protocols. But as IT and ICS architectures converge and high-profile cybersecurity incidents mount, a robust, holistic defense-in-depth solution may be […]

Technology is being incorporated into operations and maintenance schemes at an ever-increasing pace. New digital tools are helping optimize assets, improve performance, and reduce overall costs. Big Data Best

MPLS/Ethernet DIN-Rail switch provides exemplary solution for power utilities expanding their operational networks to meet the demands of the new energy cloud  Petach Tikva, Israel – March 28, 2018 – ECI®, a global provider of ELASTIC Network® solutions for service providers, critical infrastructures and data center operators, announced today the launch of the NPT-1010D DIN-rail […]

The Connected Plant Game Changer Award recognizes those people who are leading the charge in implementing digital technologies in their field: either in the chemical process industries or in power generation. Nominations are open to individuals who have used tools associated with digitalization to contribute to innovation, solve a problem or make improvements, as well […]

If you’re a power plant supervisor, you’ve undoubtedly been forced to find a worker during off-hours on the spur of the moment. New tools are being used today that allow automating the callout process—and workforce schedule. Last summer City Utilities (CU) of Springfield, Missouri, joined a list of power companies automating workforce scheduling and callout […]

Power plants are challenged to generate value from their data, but this can be a tedious and slow process, with uncertain outcomes. Now, as shown in these use cases, data analytic solutions can put innovation

CHICAGO, IL AND IRVINE, CA (February 21, 2018) — Invenergy, North America’s largest independent, privately-held renewable energy company, and NarrativeWave, an Irvine-based Internet of Things software company, announced a three-year agreement. Invenergy will use NarrativeWave’s software to optimize its fleet of wind turbines and other renewable energy assets. The announcement follows a successful 60-day pilot, […]

Cybersecurity threats have increased dramatically as sophisticated, nation-state developed hacking programs have been leaked to the general public. Now, common criminals have high-tech tools at their disposal with the capability to cause serious damage. As such, the power industry must take precautions and upgrade security to keep systems safe. While regulations provide a minimum security […]

Presentations demonstrate how Seeq enables customers to get value from IIoT and process manufacturing data in oil & gas and energy industries. SEATTLE, February 7, 2018 – Seeq®, a leading provider of advanced analytics solutions, announced today that Pioneer Resources, Devon Energy, and Fisher Valves will present next week at the 22nd ARC Industry Forum […]

GE has operated its monitoring and diagnostics center for nearly two decades, examining the performance and health of customers’ power plants and other generating assets around the world. Understanding some

Artificial intelligence and machine learning aren’t just fictional pieces of futuristic Hollywood movies. Power plants can deploy these innovative technologies today to more accurately predict the condition

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) standard on physical security—known as Critical Infrastructure Protection-014 (CIP-014)—includes six basic requirements, but perhaps the most

Although it may seem as if gas turbines have only recently become the technology of choice for new U.S. power plants, a lot of gas turbine units have been in service for decades. Control systems have evolved

With a broadening portfolio of generation technologies and rapidly changing demands, effectively combining and integrating diverse technologies is important to a reliable power grid. Siemens’ SIESTART

The Connected Plant Conference is a forum designed for professionals in the power generation and chemical process industries who are leading digital adoption at all stages. Sessions are tailored to offer