ONYX InSight, a leading predictive analytics and engineering firm in the global wind energy industry, is introducing advanced sensing technology and predictive maintenance solutions to the Brazilian market through a long-term monitoring deal with Rio Energy, one of the fastest growing energy producer in Brazil.
The predictive maintenance service, which will be delivered in partnership with innovative local operations partner, Filtralub, will be the first of its kind in Brazil and will enable Rio Energy to achieve savings of up to 30% on O&M costs by improving failure detection and optimising operations, maintenance planning and asset output. The deal covers predictive maintenance using both ONYX InSight’s ecoCMS technology and third party hardware.
Installation of the advanced sensing technology began in the first quarter of 2020. ONYX InSight will provide an advanced combination of hardware, software and monitoring services – powered by engineering expertise – and Filtralub operational and installation support to the customer.
By working with an innovative local partner in the Brazilian market, ONYX InSight has ensured smooth project delivery for Rio Energy, minimising disruption with the support of expert local market knowledge.
The deal increases the share of Brazil’s wind turbine fleet covered by advanced predictive maintenance. By helping to drive down the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), predictive maintenance can improve owner & operator profitability – ONYX InSight has achieved cuts in LCOE of up to 12%.
Jose Morais, business development manager, Iberia and LatAm, ONYX InSight, said: “Brazil’s wind industry is the one of the largest in the world and continues to grow quickly. Within this significant installed wind energy capacity, there is unrealised potential for efficiency savings delivered by predictive maintenance. The high capacity factor in Brazil means owners & operators cannot afford to neglect turbine health. The latest predictive maintenance technology delivering advanced data analytics and insight will help wind farm owners & operators to protect their assets and ensure maximum energy production in a competitive market.”
Advanced predictive maintenance solutions collect data on multiple aspects of turbine operation, and bring it all into one place, improving owners & operators’ understanding of their machinery health condition.
Research by ONYX InSight has found that combining data streams such as oil condition, SCADA and vibration offers significant advantages for diagnostic accuracy, which translates into better decision-making support for wind farm owners & operators. The effective implementation of predictive maintenance can save 17% of OPEX costs, increasing profitability of fleets.
Lucas Sanchez, Engineering and O&M Manager, Rio Energy, said: “We are proud to be at the cutting edge of wind energy in Brazil. ONYX InSight’s predictive maintenance service will help us to increase the reliability of our failure detection and extend lead times on component procurement and maintenance planning. ONYX InSight’s engineering-grounded solution will increase our confidence in the actionable insights drawn from our data.”
