Neoenergia believes in the digitization of processes as a strategy to accelerate the energy transition. In another step towards this goal, the company started to adopt the Mobile Inspection and Commissioning Solution (SMIC) for the maintenance of its Transmission assets. The tool, installed on tablets distributed among the field teams, will allow the recording of the segment's activities in real time.
The solution is an application developed with integration to the system already used to control and manage the maintenance of assets, the SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) module. The available resources include opening and closing maintenance and commissioning notes, collecting operation information, completing checklists, and recording the Preliminary Risk Analysis (APR).
This information enables a faster tracking of activities - previously these were recorded on paper and later digitalized. "The new solution enables a significant productivity gain for our teams - what used to take about four hours can now be completed in half an hour. In addition, we gained more assertiveness and information traceability, reduced errors and also helped our environment by reducing paper consumption”, says Carlos Eduardo Begosso, Transmission Operation and Maintenance Superintendent at Neoenergia.
This system is also used to meet the Transmission Geospatial Management System (GGT), a process controlled by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) to comply with the regulatory requirement of preventive maintenance of the right of way - areas around the transmission lines where constructions are not allowed. The new SMIC allows, among other features, technicians to take the necessary photos to substantiate inspections, which are automatically sent with the date, time, and geographic coordinates. These activities are aimed at maintaining the cleanliness of the security areas, reducing the risk of line shutdowns due to fires and wildfires.
The tablets on which the solution has been installed can be used even in remote areas where connections are difficult. The SMIC system operates offline and, once the technician returns to an area with internet access, the recorded data is sent to SAP, which records the tasks performed.
Neoenergia already uses other technologies in the operation and maintenance processes of Transmission assets. An example are the augmented reality devices acquired to assist in service inspection, maneuvers, and equipment inspection and training, among other features. During one of the most critical periods of the Covid-19 pandemic, in July 2020, these devices enabled the commissioning of imported equipment for starting operation of Biguaçu (SC) substation. The use of this tool has been extended to distribution activities.
Distribution
The group’s distributors – the Neoenergia Coelba (Bahia), Neoenergia Pernambuco (Pernambuco), Neoenergia Cosern (Rio Grande do Norte), Neoenergia Elektro (São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul) and Neoenergia Brasília (Distrito Federal) - also use solutions similar to SMIC for managing activities. The companies have a field mobility system, ClickSoftware, which automatically routes the daily activities of the teams for emergency, commercial and preventive assistance, in addition to allowing the recording of this work.