Nokia Private Wireless solution for power generation plants

Industrial-grade connectivity for the future of power generation

Today, power generation plants are struggling with pricing volatility, legacy technologies and new requirements for security and sustainability. At the same time, they need to increase operational efficiency and evolve to safer, more flexible and financially stable power generation sources.

An industrial-grade 4G LTE or 5G private wireless network that’s designed for power utility operations allows every type of power generation plant—hydro, gas, nuclear, solar and wind—to digitally transform and benefit from the promise of Industry 4.0 technologies and applications.

Power generation plants gain reliable high-speed, high-capacity and low-latency connectivity everywhere, even in challenging indoor and outdoor environments. The private network is standards-based, and supports all applications with the quality of service (QoS) needed for scaling mission-critical applications, which best-effort Wi-Fi networks cannot achieve.

Private wireless is essential for power generation plants looking to:

Use more Industrial IoT (IIoT) sensors to cost effectively monitor, control and automate more equipment, processes and areas
Connect IIoT sensors with machine learning analytics and digital twin technologies
Provide secure connectivity for enterprise-wide asset management, process optimization and data integration
Improve communications, safety and security across their facilities

With an industrial-grade private wireless communications foundation in place, power generation plants have a future-proof path for ongoing digital evolution.

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Use cases
Benefits and features
Related solutions

Use cases

A mobile network that delivers high-bandwidth, low-latency 4G LTE or 5G connectivity improves the availability of existing applications and opens the door to new applications that help further automate and optimize power generation plants.

Digital transformation with Industry 4.0 technologies to automate and optimize operations

Introduce low-cost, low-power IIoT sensors that are easily connected using wireless to monitor processes and areas that were previously too expensive
Collect extensive sensor data to create a digital twin of enterprise-wide system for asset management and resource planning
Join isolated data lakes for improved understanding of end-to-end operational costs and performance trade-offs

Improve worker efficiency and safety

Add new broadband data and push-to-video service capabilities, and improve coverage for push-to-talk communications
Quickly send high-definition schematics, data and operational information to mobile devices and heads-up displays
Connect smart personal protective equipment (PPE) and worker health devices, such as wearable sensors and body cameras
Use remote-controlled robots and drones to reduce the need for workers to enter hazardous areas or work high in the air

Increase security

Extend video surveillance to additional areas in and around the plant site
Add pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) and infrared cameras to drones
Broadcast public safety alerts from drones

Benefits and features

With the Nokia Private Wireless solution, power generation plants of all types can:

Increase network reliability with a wireless network that uses sophisticated technology to manage device access, share bandwidth and monitor service levels

Improve connected operations with a predictable, high-speed, low-latency wireless network that connects equipment, systems, devices, people and data

Reduce operational costs by consolidating multiple communications systems onto a single network for operations

Increase the wireless coverage area with a pervasive wireless network outdoors and indoors across the largest power generation sites

Increase network security with a wireless network that provides built-in encryption and authentication capabilities

Article

How private wireless solutions enable digital power plant’s transformation

Web page

Empower wind and solar construction and operations with private LTE/5G communication networks

“Research shows that end-to-end digitization can allow power generation companies to realize additional average earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) potential of 20 to 30 percent.”

McKinsey & Company

March 2021