POWER February 2020 - 48

SHOW PREVIEW
POWER magazine and Chemical Engineering
are hosting the fourth annual
Connected Plant Conference, taking
place Feb. 25-27, 2020, at the Westin
Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia. Connected
Plant is the only event specifically
covering the digital transformation and
digitization for the power generation and
chemical process industries. The event
includes a look at the technology moving
the power generation sector forward,
including data and analytics, and provides
detailed information about digital
technologies for process, product, and
enterprise improvements for chemical
processing. The companies participating
in this year's event will show plant operators
how to increase operational efficiency.
Regardless of ownership structure,
fleet size, or fuel, new digital cloudcomputing
operational and management
tools are available to help those in the
power generation and chemical processing
industries squeeze more from investments.
Greater connectivity, paired
with appropriate data management and
analysis, can enable power generation
and chemical processing facilities of any
size and any technology to address challenges
both large and small.
The Connected Plant Conference allows
for interaction with the industry's
early adopters.
Attendees will meet
generators who are using the latest connected
plant tools. The speaker lineup
(Figure 1) provides access to information
from power generators and chemical
plant operators that have adopted the
latest digital monitoring, diagnostic, analytics,
Industrial Internet of Things, and
decision-support technologies. Vendor
representatives will be available to discuss
the challenges you face and what
capabilities are on the wish list for your
facility and business. Attendees will get
a firm grasp on the new digital operating
environment, and what solutions will
work for your plant. The conference program
is designed for professionals who
are leading digital adoption at all stages.
Here's a look at some of the products
and services companies participating in
this year's event are showcasing.
ABB's Digital Solutions Help
Power and Chemical
Companies
There are numerous challenges facing
power generators and chemical processors
today, such as volatile costs and
prices, as well as products that can be
made in different ways with various
combinations of materials, across more
than one plant at a given company, to
achieve the same output. The number of
variables to process for maximum performance
are enormous, and challenges
vary by region. Digital solutions can help,
whatever the scenario for a given company,
wherever in the world they are.
Knowledge enterprise has to embrace
digitization to achieve the best results.
Many power and chemical companies
have spent years investing in automated
operations, process controls, sensors,
and real-time data systems, albeit in a
relatively scattered manner. Advances
in digitization are now enabling them
to bring together the data they already
have hidden in disparate systems to deliver
greater value to their businesses
than was possible before, in a more
agile and real-time manner. ABB's digital
solutions help companies use digitalization
to transform their operations in
ways that reduce costs, minimize risks,
and drive sustained profitability. ABB,
Zurich, Switzerland
abb.com
EPRI Aids Utilities in New
1. The Connected Plant Conference features
dynamic speakers providing information about
the digital transformation of power generation
and chemical processing. Chris Naunheimer,
the Users Experience Director-Digital for
ABB, is shown here speaking at the 2019
event. Source: Access Intelligence
48
Energy Landscape
The Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) helps utilities understand how
disruptive new technologies can be demonstrated
and applied in today's rapidly
changing energy system. EPRI provides
valuable insight into customer experience,
electric grid optimization, operations
and maintenance efficiency, data
analytics, and electric mobility. Through
product trials with a variety of companies,
EPRI has shown how augmented
reality can enhance workforce productivity,
safety, and efficiency. A trial last
www.powermag.com
year with Ario showed how to equip
power plant workers with devices that
enable visual training, operations, maintenance,
and troubleshooting activities
at workplace sites, and on machines
and equipment. A product trial with eIQ
Mobility explored the electrification of
large commercial vehicle fleets using
advanced analytics to help companies
determine when and where to deploy
electric vehicles. EPRI's IlluminationLAB
program, which includes several utilities
and power generators, enables an approach
allowing for the testing of tools
in real-world environments. EPRI, Palo
Alto, California
epri.com
GE Digital Software Helps
with Data Visualization and
Analysis
GE Digital recently announced significant
enhancements across its industryleading
software portfolio that make it
possible for companies to more easily
and effectively operate their plants,
analyze industrial data, and optimize
their operations. The product updates
include Predix Essentials, which makes
it easier for industrial companies to connect,
visualize, and analyze their data;
Asset Answers, which helps customers
understand the competitive potential of
Asset Performance Management (APM)
software; and Webspace 6.0, a new
HTML5 interface that seamlessly brings
automation data to operators across any
mobile device. Predix Essentials, Asset
Answers, and Webspace 6.0 help industrial
companies to more easily access
remote monitoring, predictive analytics,
benchmarking, and mobility capabilities.
Predix Essentials is an easy-to-use
software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution,
while Asset Answers is a benchmarking
tool that helps customers quickly import
and assess data. Webspace 6.0, a web
and mobility solution, improves the way
that operators receive and react to operational
insights, whether they are in
the field, on the plant floor, or at a desk,
providing them the flexibility to make informed
decisions and share their expertise,
regardless of location. GE Digital,
San Ramon, California
ge.com/digital/
Southern Company Helps
with Integration of
Digitization
Southern Company, which serves 9 million
customers across the U.S. Southeast,
is dedicated to solving the energy
industry's most pressing issues, including
the integration of digitization into
power generation. Southern Company
POWER | February 2020
http://www.epri.com http://www.abb.com http://www.ge.com/digital/ http://www.powermag.com
POWER February 2020

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