Changing energy market spurs Portuguese company to upgrade its systems

REN Portgás, one of Portugal’s leading natural gas distributors, has upgraded to DNV’s Synergi Gas Automated Model Builder to boost quicker and better-informed decision-making as they prepare for the new energy mix. With the upgrade, REN Portgás can now build gas network models in a matter of days instead of weeks, reducing the time spent on the task by over 60%. 

The organisation, which serves over 400,000 Portuguese customers, has relied on Synergi Gas for a long time for network planning, network assessments, operational efficiency, budget planning and reporting. To keep with the demands of the changing energy landscape, they upgraded to Synergi Gas’ Automated Model Builder solution to save time and reduce the risk of model errors and data inconsistencies as they model major scenarios for the energy transition.

Glória Gonçalves, Engineer at REN Portgás, said: 
"The key to decarbonising at scale is providing safety, ensuring energy security and optimising gas networks efficiently. Today, as we prepare for a future transition that is still in the early stages, the ability to make better-informed decisions based on robust, accurate models is essential.”

“With Synergi Gas Automated Model Builder, we can now build gas network models in a fraction of the time it used to take us. What would have taken us three weeks and a lot of manual iterations, we now achieve within two to five days.,” she adds. REN Portgás aims to use automated network models for daily maintenance monitoring of its medium and low-pressure distribution network.

Synergi Gas Automated Model Builder (AMB) is a web-based application that uses available SCADA and system data to automatically build gas network models. With the enhanced tool, the engineers at REN Portgás can access accurate, validated models based on near real-time data, providing more accurate results. Decisions can now be based on near-live information, giving additional insights and enabling improved reporting. The system automatically updates every model and runs checks to ensure the models are accurate and valid based on correct data.

Tony Alfano, Pipeline Product Line Director at DNV Digital Solutions, said:
“Pipeline operators require new technologies and smarter ways to ensure safety as the enormous task of transforming the energy system gains momentum. There will be an increasing demand for fit-for-purpose pipeline infrastructure in the energy transition, and the software provides more accurate results and better support for critical decisions to be made.” 

The energy conversation in Portugal picked up in 2020, and the government and network operators are preparing to transport hydrogen and biomethane blends over the next few years. 

Investing in Synergi Gas Automated Model Builder (AMB) was the first step towards Gas Quality Tracking for REN Portgás. With the correct database and robust network models from AMB, REN Portgás aims to leverage Gas Quality Tracking to take the onus of monitoring and controlling gas quality across their distribution network. 

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: DNV