GE Vernova debuts AI-powered emissions management software at Ivory Coast power plant

GE Vernova has confirmed the Ivory Coast’s largest gas power plant as the first to debut and deploy its carbon emissions management software. Globeleq’s Azito Energie (Azito) will utilise CERius, which is designed to help energy companies progress toward net-zero goals using data precision and abatement planning capabilities.

Tuesday’s announcement follows the emergence of more global regulations around emissions reporting, including recently passed US Securities and Exchange Commission rules requiring companies to report emissions for the first time.

CERius will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable organisations to more accurately measure, manage, and operationalise the insights needed to help them track carbon neutral emissions goals.

Digital driver for emissions curbs

CERius is engineered to automate more accurate greenhouse gas (GHG) data collection and suggest recommendations to operationalise carbon reduction efforts by offering scenario analysis, team collaboration, and standardised reporting based on GHG protocols.

Linda Rae, General Manager, Power Generation & Oil and Gas, Electrification Software, GE Vernova, said one of the most effective ways to drive energy sector emissions reduction is to pursue digital transformation

“While many energy industrials have been reporting emissions for years, the process is labour intensive, slow to surface insights, and based upon generic formulas,” she explained.

“The energy transition demands agility, speed, and accuracy of data collection - CERius offers the fidelity of reporting emissions down to a specific asset, which can unleash actionable insights to help improve scope 1, 2, and 3 data accuracy and reporting, in addition to measuring abatement planning strategies.”

Compliance-enabling software

As the first in the world to access CERius, the Azito plant is a trailblazer in Africa’s digital energy space.

It serves as an example to other energy producers on the benefits of using digital solutions - implementing cross-functional standards and processes fuelled by CERius will help position companies address ever-evolving regulatory compliance.

Rae added: “As we see the rise of environmental reporting across the energy supply chain by regulators, stakeholders, and investors, software will be a game-changer for power utilities, if applied at speed and to scale.”

Greater access to emissions data will enable Azito to make more informed decisions on how to reduce carbon emissions.

It already employs GE Vernova’s Asset Performance Management software’s APM Reliability Plus module, using advanced algorithms, AI and ML to help predict potential failures several weeks/days before they occur.

Pointing the way for African energy

Located near to the city of Abidjan, the Azito plant generates electricity using natural gas from Ivory Coast’s offshore gas fields. It uses combined cycle gas turbines that generate 713MW of electricity; approximately 30% of the country’s base load generation.

Gionata Visconti, Chief Operating Officer of Globeleq, said his group has a mixed portfolio of power plants across Africa and is fully committed to energy transition.

“It is vital we are able to monitor and report our emissions from one of our key thermal plants in a timely and accurate manner,” he added.

“At the same time, we can use the information from CERius to reduce and abate our emissions.”