SEC establishes Generation & Optimization Center with GE

GE and Saudi Electricity Co. will work together to make SEC’s power generation capabilities one of the world’s most efficient and reliable as it prepares to meet the anticipated 50 percent increase in electric energy needed by 2020.
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has selected GE as its solutions provider to drive a nationwide digital transformation of electricity in Saudi Arabia.
GE and SEC will work together to make SEC’s power generation capabilities one of the world’s most efficient and reliable as it prepares to meet the anticipated 50 percent increase in electric energy needed by 2020.
SEC has established a Generation & Optimization Center (GOC) with a state-of-the-art Center of Technology (COT), which will be equipped with GE digital solutions to monitor, analyze and enhance the reliability and efficiency of 16 SEC power plants.
The center will monitor all data from main plant components, using GE’s advanced industrial software and technologies to predict any potential disruptions and suggest the optimal operational methods.
These operations will be held at the COT, where the team can obtain the data and modifies it, while monitoring main KPIs within the power plants. 
SEC’s CEO Ziyad Al-Shiha said: “Supporting the goals of Vision 2030 to drive the all-round growth of the Kingdom is a top priority at Saudi Electricity Company. Enhancing the productivity and operational efficiency of our plants will enable us to meet the growing demand for electricity, and support the ambitious infrastructure development programs. The digital transformation of our assets presents a strong opportunity to accelerate this. As a global leader in digital industrial solutions and a long-term partner of SEC, GE’s advanced technologies will help us not only meet our productivity enhancement goals but also drive sustainable development.”
GE Power’s President & CEO Steve Bolze said: “I commend SEC for their visionary leadership in embracing a digital future for electricity in Saudi Arabia. Software is transforming every industry, and companies such as SEC who move first to build data-centric business strategies will quickly create tremendous value and capture market opportunity.”

Source: Arab News