How will digitalisation contribute to our low carbon future?
Vast change is happening in the energy world, not only in how we consume it but also how we generate it. Offshore wind is a rapidly expanding renewable energy technology that is poised to play an important role in the world’s low carbon future. Offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply in 2018, but it is set to rapidly expand to become a USD 1 trillion business*.
In their recent landmark report, RenewableUK identified that a net zero emissions energy system would see low-cost wind energy capacity grow six-fold to over 120GW by 2050, attracting tens of billions in investment just in the UK**. So, how does the industry ensure the safety and productivity of operations through this period of growth?
Growth through digitalisation
Digital technologies are set to make energy systems around the world more connected, intelligent, efficient, reliable and sustainable***.
The energy sector is no stranger to digital, from utility companies pioneering emerging technologies in the 1970s to facilitate grid management through to the oil and gas sector using ground-breaking 3D modelling technologies for exploration.
Technology is improving every day and industry needs to constantly evaluate and prioritise what to invest in for maximum return. One particular area which would benefit from digitalisation is operational decision-making in the offshore energy industry – specifically when decisions are complex and time-critical.
Digital insights for operational decision-making
Every operational decision has an impact on business performance, company reputation and potentially the health and wellbeing of employees, the public and the environment. Like other players in the offshore energy space, wind operators are using manual document-based systems for operational decision-making – particularly in times of incident – which can be slow and suboptimal.
Replacing these systems with a digital platform whereby algorithm derived decision engines can bring together all the information into one software platform – connecting people, resources and industry to the answers and information they need, when they need it – would be far more effective.
Safer, smarter operations
Digital decision-making solutions are particularly valuable when an unexpected incident happens offshore. Wind farm operators have complex supplier and provider chains along with significant geographic risks, which can hamper response times when something non-standard or the unexpected occurs.
Access to real-time data, live insights and precise analytics enable faster, more accurate decisions to:
safeguard employees
preserve the environment
protect capital assets
increase efficiency & reduce costs
strengthen corporate reputation
The future for energy is digital
Offshore wind is rapidly expanding to meet the demands of a net zero future. The growth trajectory is vast and calls for the right technology to be applied at the right time to ensure success.
Digitalisation is helping improve the safety and performance of operations and incremental improvements will help us to reach our collective goal of a low carbon future.
industrium is contributing to this process by building digital solutions to improve safety and efficiency offshore. You can find out more about the intelligent technologies industrium are pioneering for operational decision-making here. You can also get in touch.
Sources
*IEA: “Offshore Wind Outlook 2019”
**RenewableUK: “Powering the Future: RenewableUK's Vision of the Transition”
***IEA: “Digitalisation and Energy report”