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The Bentley’s Year In Infrastructure event recently concluded in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands. Over two days, 36 exceptional projects were presented, chosen from a vast pool of more than 300 nominations spanning 51 countries. These projects showcased the tangible benefits of Bentley’s solutions, including reduced engineering efforts and substantial cost savings. Notably, the median reduction in engineering efforts across the selected projects was 18%. The event culminated in the prestigious Going Digital Awards Ceremony, where winners from 12 categories were honored for their contributions to advancing global infrastructure intelligence through Bentley’s innovative solutions.
The selection of finalists this year highlighted a strong presence from the APAC region, with over half of the projects originating there. More than a third of the finalists hailed from the EMEA region. Notably, a significant portion of the APAC finalists were from key countries such as China, India, and Australia. China alone contributed to about 20% of the projects shortlisted.
Transmission And Distribution Category Winner: Powerchina Hubei Electric Engineering
The featured project, Xianning Chibi 500 kV Substation Project in Hubei Province, is a key project in Hubei to meet Xianning’s power load growth demand. Located about 48km from the historical site of the Battle of Chi Bi, this project uniquely fused industrial design with rich Chinese cultural heritage, reflecting a prevailing trend in China's engineering landscape. The substation's proximity to natural habitats also demands an emphasis on green construction to minimize ecological impact throughout the project's lifecycle.
Source: Bentley
Navigating challenging geographical terrain and the need for a compact layout, alongside coordinating various engineering disciplines, posed significant hurdles. Conventional methods would not be adequate to meet the tight construction timeframe and budget constraints. Bentley's innovative 3D/4D modeling and iTwin applications played a pivotal role. By fostering a collaborative digital design environment, employing a 4D visual construction methodology, and creating a comprehensive 3D substation digital twin, Powerchina achieved full lifecycle digitization.
Bentley's integrated technology solution played a pivotal role in Powerchina's success. A compact layout with a reduction of the project's footprint by 0.97 hectares and minimizing the impact on the natural environment was achieved, and Powerchina saved CNY 2.84 million in the process. Through the coordinated design and construction management platform, the team successfully averted over 50 reworks, effectively reducing the construction period by 30 days. The digital twin facilitates real-time asset insight and smart substation management, setting a benchmark for digitization of the State Grid.
Finalist KXEPDI: Substation Construction at High Altitudes Empowered by Infrastructure Intelligence Solutions
Amidst the daunting mountainous terrain of Deerwen, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, the 110kV Transmission and Transformation Project by Qinghai Kexin Electric Power Design Institute (KXEPDI) emerged as a testament to innovation. This project faced complex topography challenges and the imperative of green construction in a high-altitude, harsh climate environment with a fragile ecological balance.
With Bentley’s integrated design and BIM solutions, KXEPDI navigated this delicate balance admirably. Bentley’s open applications facilitated collaborative design workflows and real-time rendering to achieve refined, coordinated design of the substation and facilities amid the natural surroundings. The result was a design process that was not just efficient, shortening the timeline to a month, but also remarkably precise, reducing errors by 90%. Earthwork was minimized significantly, a 90% reduction that underscored the project's commitment to preserving the local environment.
Finalist Elia: Embracing Digital Transformation with Bentley
Elia highlighted the transformative power of Bentley’s collaborative digital technology in streamlining intelligent engineering and management workflows. Their featured project centered on migrating from outdated drawing file management systems and engineering processes to a centralized digital platform with intelligent workflows. They adopted ProjectWise as their file management system, enhancing accessibility and traceability, resulting in estimated annual savings of up to EUR 150,000.
Additionally, the implementation of OpenUtilities Substation and iTwin significantly improved the engineering process. It facilitated more efficient substation design, enhanced lightning protection and controls, streamlined clash detection, and provided advanced visualization and digital analysis through hybrid modeling and digital twin simulation. This innovative approach is anticipated to save approximately 30,000 resource hours annually, marking a significant leap toward operational efficiency.
Elia’s Milestone: Commencement of Princess Elisabeth Island Construction
During a rapid interview session at the event, Terrance Strom, Vice President of Product Strategy, and Teresa Elliott, Senior Director of Marketing, Industry, and iTwin Platform at Bentley Systems, unveiled an exciting update from Elia: The Belgian transmission system operator has successfully obtained the environmental permit for Princess Elisabeth Island. This accomplishment marks a groundbreaking moment in the realm of energy innovation.
Situated 45km off the Belgian coastline in the North Sea, Princess Elisabeth Island stands as an advancement toward the European Union's target of achieving 300GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050. Primarily housing transmission infrastructure, the energy island serves as an extension of the North Sea's electricity grid, linking offshore wind farms to the Belgian mainland. Furthermore, it will function as a central hub for hybrid interconnectors connecting the UK and Denmark.
The construction of the island is scheduled to begin in March 2024, spanning a project timeline of over two years, and is slated for completion in August 2026.