As renovation work begins on several Storengy sites, the European leader in underground natural gas storage has announced that it is rolling out digital twins on six of its sites.
Deployed in partnership with Samp, the digital twin applied to gas storage represents a virtual replica of each site obtained through 3D scans and makes it possible to optimise engineering, operation and maintenance.
For the first time in Europe, gas storage sites have been captured with 3D laser scans and photos by terrestrial scanners and drones to provide a highly accurate representation of the reality on the ground. This novel approach was made possible by the partnership between Storengy and the French company Samp. Once processed using artificial intelligence, approximately 12,000 equipment items surveyed on a storage site were identified and connected to technical diagrams. This allows any discrepancy between the site and engineering drawings to be identified, as well as simpler access to all existing IT systems via a virtual 3D replica, which is continuously checked.
By “bringing a storage site within reach of the screen,” Storengy plans, optimises and secures any on-site activity. In addition to reducing the number of on-site visits and risk exposure by teams, the digital twin offers significant benefits for the onboarding of new employees and contractors, as well as for the preparation of engineering studies and revamping projects, remote expertise, and the preparation of HAZOP studies.
The deployment programme is already underway, with the Beynes site rolled out since the beginning of 2023; the Cerville , Saint-Illiers-la-Ville and Céré-la-Ronde sites were 3D scanned with roll outs planned this summer; the Etrez and Chémery sites are targeted for deployment of the digital twin by the end of 2023.
