TEPCO Begins Remote Use of 'Internet of Things' to Improve Performance of Thermal Power Stations

Feb 07, 2018 20:00 JST

Source: TEPCO

Data monitoring and Analyzing Center enables increased fuel efficiency and overall operation improvement; expansion planned as service offered to other power producers

TOKYO, Feb 07, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) and TEPCO Fuel & Power, Inc. are combining a new remote optimization center with the "Internet of Things" (IoT) to increase the fuel efficiency and other operations of its thermal power plants.

The effort is the result of testing that began in 2015, and will be developed into operational support services for the thermal power plants of other electricity producers both in Japan and overseas. The center's projected annual revenue is 5 billion JPY within three years.

"Embracing IoT technology to improve our technological services make it possible to provide value-added services for our customers in terms of maintaining thermal efficiency and improving power generation availability," says Seiji Moriya, President of TEPCO Fuel & Power, Inc. "TEPCO intends to enhance its presence as a global O&M (operation and maintenance) company."

By using IoT technology, the effort has improved power generation efficiency resulting in decreasing fuel costs up to 70 million yen per unit a year. Also, by remotely detecting symptoms of nonconformance, the technology optimizes power station operation and maintenance (reduce outages by 10-20%).

The Data monitoring and Analyzing Center (DAC *1) was added to the trials in January 2017, and has confirmed operational improvements at TEPCO Fuel & Power's thermal power plants at Hitachi-Naka, Chiba, Futtsu, and Shinagawa. In collaboration with some of the world's leading IoT companies, the technologies include:

Category; Product Name; Company Name
- Cloud platform; Amazon Web Service; Amazon Web Service
- Data Infrastructure; PI System; OSIsoft (*2)
- Early Anomaly Detection; Enterprise Impact; GE Energy Japan KK, Bentley Division
- Early Anomaly Detection; Predict-IT; Engineering Consultants Group
- Performance Management; PEPSE, PMAX; Curtiss-Wright

Within the cooperation of domestic and global industry leaders, TEPCO studied software provided by these companies and developed platforms. TEPCO plans to strengthen these tools, and will offer these technologies and services to other power operators overseas.

Both companies will comprehensively provide operational support services and platforms utilizing DAC to international power operators including Southeast Asia.

*1: Abbreviation for "Data monitoring and Analyzing Center", operation data from domestic and overseas power stations is monitored remotely and services provided for visualizing operation status, early anomaly detection, and managing thermal efficiency.
*2: Strategic Alliance Agreement between OSIsoft and TEPCO was concluded in November 2016.

Attachments
1: IoT-based Operation Support Service for Domestic and Overseas Thermal Power Stations
www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu18_e/images/180207e0101.pdf
2: Data monitoring and Analyzing Center (DAC)
www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu18_e/images/180207e0102.pdf

About TEPCO
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TSE: 9501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is the largest utility in Japan, serving millions of homes and businesses. Worldwide the company has more than 34 subsidiaries and 32 affiliates in eight countries and employs approximately 42,060 people. Consolidated revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, totaled 5.3 trillion Japanese yen. The company was established in 1951 and is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For more information, visit http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/corpinfo/index-e.html

Press release: http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2018/1476022_15409.html

Source: TEPCO
Sectors: Energy, Alternatives, Alternative Energy