Work and Asset Management Program | GSE

Project duration: 2016 – 2019

Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) is Georgia’s single electricity transmission system operator (TSO), coordinating the country’s electricity system. As the single TSO, GSE balances the country’s power supply and demand in real-time.

For GSE, we implemented our solutions within the project called Work and Asset Management, which lasted from January 2016 until January 2019 and is now fully operational.

We have provided them with IPS®ENERGY, a master asset data repository containing technical information on more than 30,000 assets.

The entire asset portfolio was hierarchically organized. On the highest level, asset groups indicate an asset’s main function in a power system. Asset groups include Circuit Breakers, Power Transformers, Protection Devices, Overhead Lines, Cables, etc.

Each asset group has a specific, embedded model that can be adjusted using custom properties. The next level represents asset types that enable the grouping of assets with common characteristics (manufacturer, model, technical data…, etc.). A rich asset-type library is available by design and is expanding according to users’ needs. Finally, on the asset instance level, all data related to an individual device is entered and managed.

The entire GSE is covered:

• More than 28 Substations, 500 kV, 220 kV, and 110 kV, with over ten thousand assets:
  • HV equipment – power transformers, reactors, circuit breakers, disconnectors, measuring transformers, surge arrestors
  • Protection devices and remote-control units
• About 31 Overhead lines operating on 500 kV, 220 kV, and 110 kV with almost 45 thousand assets:

• • Poles (above 6715 units)
  • Spans
  • Protection wires
  • Insulators
  • Hanging equipment and other assigned assets

The models for linear asset groups are designed to accurately represent their spatial attributes, including starting and ending points, length, direction, and turning angles. Each pole is associated with GPS coordinates for precise geo-mapping, which helps visualize the entire overhead line and the broader network. The location hierarchy also aligns with the CIM model, considering the company’s organizational and geographical structure. Assigning assets to the correct location streamlines maintenance planning optimizes resource utilization and ensures proper cost allocation.

Modules implemented:

Within the WAM project we have implemented the following models for GSE:>

• Maintenance Concept

It follows internal regulations, ANSI-META 2015, and VDE-0109 standards. Each asset group has tailored templates for various maintenance tasks, specifying expected results (e.g., checks, value entries, imports). Templates include task cycles, priorities, responsible work centers, and estimated resources. Configurable conditions, error codes, and assessment formulas help define follow-up actions.

• Work Ordering

Enables creating orders and using already existing maintenance templates. GSE uses the Work Ordering Module with the Planning module to plan future actions in detail.

• Work Execution

It performs field maintenance and captures detailed asset condition data, including complex test results. A middleware interface between IPS and 1C allows direct access to material availability in nearby warehouses. In the Work Execution module, resources are assigned to tasks as needed.

• IPS®Relex

It manages protection relays with a detailed model containing all device information, configuration, and settings. The extensive type library is regularly updated. Through IPS®EPIS, relay parameters can be adjusted, test patterns defined, and system settings can be compared with on-site configurations.

• Topology Manager 

It enables the creation of network models based on the CIM standard, allowing seamless data exchange with other systems. The topology model’s graphical representation supports the creation of single-line diagrams for individual substations or the entire network. Topology and Asset Management are integrated for two-way data exchange.

• Calculation Studio

Calculation Studio allows the creation of flexible formulas for designing specific equipment and defining complex templates for maintenance actions. It enables condition assessments and automates follow-up actions. The key benefit of Calculation Studio is its ability to provide real-time results during field operations, saving users valuable time on follow-up tasks.

• IPS®SmartGrid DI

It is a key part of GSE’s WAM system, offering functions for third-party interfaces, data collection, analysis, and trigger management. It automatically analyzes and reports substation inspections in our production environment. We are working towards full automation of diagnostic measurement analysis, allowing faster and more comprehensive insights into asset conditions by integrating data from multiple sources and applying automated triggers, weighting factors, and alert points based on GSE standards.

• IPS®MobApp Workforce Management

At the start of the project, GSE defined the software license types and quantities. By the end of the WAM system integration, they acquired licenses for the IPS®MobApp, a lightweight cross-platform app used on Windows tablets. Substation operators benefit from the intuitive user interface, online and offline functionalities, multilingual support, asset label scanning, barcode scanning for asset and task identification, and advanced filter and search.

The photos above show GSE and staff at intensive workshop sessions at GSE offices in Georgia during the implementation of the successful Work Assets Management Program.