GE Vernova supports energy exchange in WAPP

The GridOS deployed in a utility room setting with screens around the room.

GridOS deployed in a utility control room setting. (Image source: GE Vernova)

GE Vernova, a global energy company, has deployed its GridOS orchestration software in the Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) in Benin to help facilitate energy exchange across the West African Power Pool (WAPP)
The initiative is aimed at transforming the region’s energy landscape and the ICC in Abomey-Calavi has been completed to serve as a centralised command centre for the mainland member countries of ECOWAS. It will oversee the interconnected power grids of 14 nations, marking a milestone in the goal of creating a unified power market in West Africa to ultimately pave the way for more reliable, sustainable and affordable power.
Elements of GE Vernova’s GridOS software portfolio have been deployed in the facility to help utilities achieve the resiliency and flexibility needed for a more sustainable energy grid. The ICC is using several of the portfolio’s intelligent grid applications, including an Energy Management System (EMS) engineered for dispatching; a Wide Area Monitoring System (WAMS) designed for grid stability; and an Advanced Market Management System designed to support the trading of power among ECOWAS countries.
“We are honoured to partner with WAPP in their mission to promote and develop power generation and transmission infrastructures, as well as to coordinate power exchange among the ECOWAS member states. Our GridOS portfolio provides the ICC with modern software capabilities to automate grid operations and help increase the energy transaction rate across the region, helping overcome energy challenges in the ECOWAS zone,” remarked Mahesh Sudhakaran, general manager for GE Vernova’s grid software business.
GE Vernova’s GridOS forecasting solution will be used to enhance the value of Variable Renewable Energy on the electricity market with advanced forecasting and ramping tools. Through this integration, engineers will have near real-time access to data on energy flow across the WAPP interconnected network, enabling them to monitor, analyse, and optimise power distribution.