May 08, 2019

Accenture and Gasunie Deploy New Digital Gas Transport Management System to Facilitate Safe and Secure Operation of Dutch Gas Grid

GRONINGEN, The Netherlands; May 8, 2019 ‒ N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (Gasunie), a European gas infrastructure company, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) have built and deployed a new digital natural gas transport management system (GTMS), designed to help better manage the Dutch gas grid, which transports natural gas, hydrogen and green gas from biomass.

The new system, operating at the heart of the Netherlands’ critical and complex gas infrastructure, provides control-room dispatchers and maintenance personnel with accurate information at the right time, 24 hours a day. Based on advanced gas management system software from Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, the GTMS enables the monitoring and control of the Dutch gas grid.

Accenture worked closely with Gasunie to design, build, deploy and operate the new digital system, which included implementing the functional architecture and applications and migrating data from the prior system.

The GTMS includes new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Gas Management System (GMS) functions which facilitate all communication with Gasunie assets and equipment remotely, similar to Distribution Management Systems (DMS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) in electricity grids. The GTMS generates insights and notifications based on the data gathered and provides operators with all the information needed to efficiently operate the gas grid from the central control room in Groningen. This helps maintain the safety and security of natural gas transported in the Netherlands at the highest levels.

The GTMS also provides Gasunie with real-time insights into the high-pressure gas grid, demand forecasting as far ahead as 48 hours, and simulation of gas flow and composition — which together will enable Gasunie to enhance its operational capabilities and conduct maintenance more efficiently. The GTMS is integrated with Gasunie’s geographical information system, using a single source for asset data (including pipelines, compressors and valves), to create a network model of the system as a digital twin of the physical network.

As part of the program, Accenture also provided organizational change-management services to help prepare, train and support user groups — including dispatchers and data and IT maintenance teams — for the system implementation.

“We are delighted to be working with Accenture on our new gas transport management system, which we believe will provide us with a strong foundation for the future,” said Eddie Lycklama à Nijeholt, program manager for control room replacement, Gasunie. “Accenture has played a crucial role in delivering this complex project on time and on budget, using its industry knowledge and digital capabilities.”

Jeroen Zanting, director for Asset Management, Gasunie Transport Services, said, “The new system provides a state-of-the-art platform that is flexible and equips us well for the future. This is a direct result of the strategic relationship we have had with Accenture since 2010. While our old system served us well for more than two decades, the new solution will provide our operators with better tools and more timely information to ensure better decision-making and ultimately a safer and more-secure gas network.”

Roy Ikink, a managing director at Accenture who leads its Transmission and Distribution business in the Netherlands, said, “This project will help optimize gas transport in the Netherlands, providing more insight into and influence over the Dutch gas grid, with greatly improved situational awareness for operators. The new system is cheaper and easier to maintain on a daily basis, and the system’s flexibility will enable Gasunie to easily respond to any future changes required. We are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Gasunie.”

About Gasunie
Gasunie is a European gas infrastructure company. Gasunie’s network is one of the largest high-pressure pipeline networks in Europe, comprising over 15,000 kilometres of pipeline in the Netherlands and northern Germany. Gasunie wants to help accelerate the transition to a CO2-neutral energy supply and believes that gas-related innovations, for instance in the form of renewable gases such as hydrogen and green gas, can make an important contribution. Both existing and new gas infrastructure play a key role here. Gasunie also plays an active part in the development of other energy infrastructure to support the energy transition, such as district heating grids.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions — underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network — Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 477,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

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Contacts:

Guy Cantwell
Accenture
+1 281 900 9089
guy.cantwell@accenture.com

Matt Corser
Accenture
+44 755 784 9009
matthew.corser@accenture.com