Ventyx, an ABB company, has signed deals valued at $6.5 million with the primary state-based organizations responsible for operating Ecuador's transmission grid. TRANSELECTRIC, the utility operating Ecuador's transmission grid, and Ecuador's National Energy Control Center, which manages the Ecuadorian wholesale electricity market, will upgrade to the latest Ventyx solution for energy management and wide-area monitoring to optimize the utilization of the country's generation and transmission network assets.
The move is in response to a new national smart grid policy established by the Ecuador Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Resources, which requires the country's utilities to establish power grid operation and optimization strategies to support the modernization of Ecuador's electricity assets and services. The project will allow for supporting the grid's expansion under the all-important Program for Regional Power Integration that covers interconnections between Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.
The agreement, which includes long-term service, maintenance and support, will enhance the safety, efficiency and reliability of the country's power transmission network – improving power access for its 15 million citizens now and well into the future. TRANSELECTRIC and CENACE will also receive 24/7 software support from Ventyx over a multi-year term, as well as maintenance to keep Ecuador's transmission platform up to date with the latest technology standards.
Furthermore, the contract will enhance interactions between TRANSELECTRIC and CENACE by upgrading both to the same version of Ventyx software – allowing each system to provide emergency backup support to the other as needed.
"This important upgrade of our Ventyx control center software deployment will allow both TRANSELECTRIC and CENACE to fulfill their critical responsibilities for operating the national generation and transmission grid and ensuring the power system's reliability," said Marcelo Vicuna Izquierdo, general manager at TRANSELECTRIC. "This is of the utmost importance in light of the significant network expansion planned for the next 10 years and the implementation of our ambitious smart grid strategies."
"We're seeing greater investment across Latin America in the modernization of electricity distribution and transmission networks," said Daryl Rolley, executive vice president global sales, Ventyx. "Ecuador is one of the countries leading the charge in this area. TRANSELECTRIC and CENACE have already demonstrated their leadership in this region by establishing a long-term partnership with Ventyx to manage their power network today and successfully deploy smart grid technologies to meet the country's increased demand for power."
The Ventyx network management system is an advanced control center software solution that helps electric power transmission companies manage complex energy system processes and reduce operating costs, while ensuring the required levels of system security. The solution facilitates an efficient, secure and reliable grid operation, not only for managing today's power networks but also for tomorrow's smart grids, with rapidly expanding sources of renewable energy.
