MANINT: a digital revolution serving the transmission grid

What if we were able to predict when and at what exact point the grid could fail? What if we had a system that would inform us of what the necessary course of action is to avoid future faults in the system? Not too long ago none of this was possible. Fortunately, things have changed rapidly, and technology has played a major part in making this possible.

Today we have the capability to anticipate the potential faults in the high-voltage grid and we have a smart system that recommends the necessary actions to be taken in each case. All of this is possible thanks to the MANINT project (Smart Maintenance), one of the most ambitious and revolutionary technological innovation projects of Red Eléctrica, which has become a state-of-the-art solution in the sector regarding the management of electricity system assets.

 

Until now, traditional maintenance strategies have been effective, but the reality of the sector today is different, and this has led to those models not meeting expectations. New processes and tools that are more digital and efficient are required; processes and tools in which technology will undoubtedly play a key role.

The key to the new management model offered by the MANINT is that it completely revolutionises the traditional concept associated with maintenance strategies. On the one hand, with MANINT the actions are no longer carried out according to an established maintenance calendar but are planned according to the real-time condition and health of transmission grid elements.

Additionally, MANINT proposes a holistic approach to grid asset maintenance. While in the past all types of assets were dealt with equally, MANINT assesses the risk of each asset individually and evaluates the impact their current condition and health has on the grid as a whole.

This enables a more effective and efficient use of the grid without losing sight of the core mission of Red Eléctrica de España (REE): to guarantee the security and continuity of the electricity supply with the highest levels of quality. The innovative approach of the project is pioneering at a worldwide level, and its results have already attracted the interest of several companies that also face the challenge of managing their facilities in a way that is more optimal.

Find out more details about the MANINT project directly from its creators

 

"With the MANINT project, Red Eléctrica has jumped on the digital transformation bandwagon and positions itself as a worldwide leader in the management of transmission assets".

Manuel López Cormenzana, REE’s Manager of Facilities Maintenance Area

 

In order to implement the new management model proposed by MANINT, a series of technological developments have been carried out in order to have powerful analytical and cognitive capabilities that allow the data to be transformed into useful knowledge that assists in the decision-making process. To date, MANINT has deployed the following courses of action:

  • Data lake or centralised point of information. Data governance is a key element in the success of the model deployed by MANINT. Within the framework of the project, a data lake has been developed that communicates with all the tools and systems so that all the information on the assets of the transmission grid is inter-related and accessible.
  • Mathematical and engineering algorithms. These are collated into four large groups: health; deterioration curve; criticality index and risk level. These enable us to better understand and be aware of the health and deterioration of assets at all times and allow the potential impact in the case of a fault/failure to be determined. Another algorithm determines the level of risk of each asset at the exact location of the grid in which it is installed.
  • Smart System. A system that is capable of processing and analysing data to transform it into actionable knowledge. This system analyses past deterioration data and enables it to be extrapolated in order to establish future asset failure probabilities and to ascertain the behaviour of assets in the short, medium and long term.
  • Expert system. A system that incorporates advanced analysis and diagnostic features that facilitate decision making. It applies Artificial Intelligence tools so that, depending on the level of deterioration and tendency of failure of the asset, the system can make and recommend proposals regarding the need for action in the medium and long-term.
  • Holistic planning model. Supported by IT systems with high analytical capabilities, it allows maintenance needs or renewal of assets to be prioritised in order to fulfil the objectives and mission of the Company in the short, medium and long term.
  • IT system or technological platform. This platform ensures the different areas of Red Eléctrica are inter-connected and fully aware of the situation of the assets, therefore facilitating the coordination between them, and allowing the management of new data, indexes and strategies deployed. In addition, this system generates a knowledge management mechanism regarding transmission grid assets that enables the know-how to be standardised and cross-cutting within the Company.

 

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