TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY TWINS OF RESILIENCE
How can AI digital twins help climate-proof our energy infrastructure? Taco Engelaar delves into its potential. By Siobhan Doyle
W
ith the frequency and intensity of storms increasing across Ireland in recent years, asset
owner and distribution system operator ESB Networks needs to safeguard its 2.4 million customers against the growing risk of weather-related power outages. But how? In short, the operator aims to climate-proof its network by partnering with software company Neara to create a ‘digital twin’ of its transmission network spanning over 7,500km. Ireland joins a cohort of nations
embracing the Australian-based company’s AI and digital modelling technology to enable asset managers, risk managers, contractors, planners, and engineers to analyse and stress- test key critical segments of its infrastructure in granular detail, within a safe and simulated environment. The adoption of Neara’s technology by ESB Networks enables quicker
reporting and analysis, providing detailed insights in two weeks compared with the three to four months a manual reporting system takes. This will help accelerate risk identification and remediation for ESB Networks, reducing forced outages. ESB Networks also uses the platform
to address power outage causes, such as falling trees and vegetation near power lines. Here, it identifies high- risk areas for potential line failure, allowing teams to prioritise vegetation management such as tree trimming to prevent damage or outages. It also detects growing risks owing to longer seasons associated with climate change.
HOW DOES NEARA’S DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY WORK? Neara’s platform constructs 3D digital replicas of utility networks by amalgamating existing LiDAR,
geospatial, and satellite data, along with high-definition imagery. These elements are fused to autonomously generate an engineering-grade, physics-enabled model that replicates real-world conditions, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. It is also able to precisely identify the location and status of every component within an energy infrastructure network, says Taco Engelaar, managing director at Neara. “Utilities and engineers can use the
digital twin to carry out key network monitoring and planning activities (traditionally performed by engineers in the field) in a safe, virtual environment,” he adds. “This provides enhanced visibility and allows utilities to protect and improve vital infrastructure more accurately and efficiently.” Engelaar further highlights that
the technology is able to conduct dynamic line rating, identifying untapped capacity within the grid to
Dynamic line rating transmission 12
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