TIWAG-Tiroler Wasserkraft AG Meets Stringent Environmental Regulations with MATLAB
Optimization Solution Continuously Updates Operating Schedule for a Large Hydroelectric Plant
The test phase has already shown that our optimization solution has significant economic potential thanks to its predictive control.
Key Outcomes
- Using MATLAB enables TIWAG to solve a scheduling optimization problem and incorporate it into its existing SCADA system, ensuring regulatory compliance
- The customized optimization solution helps TIWAG respond to frequently varying river water flow conditions in real time
- A centralized workflow through one platform enables the integration and processing of data from multiple sources
The recently constructed dam of the new Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Inn (GKI) power plant, situated on the Upper Inn River in the border region between Austria and Switzerland. The GKI must comply with strict environmental regulations.
Tiroler Wasserkraft AG (TIWAG) is an Austrian company that produces hydroelectric power. In 2022, TIWAG faced the challenge of integrating a new power plant—the Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Inn (GKI) located on the border to Switzerland—into a pre-existing cascade of two operational plants.
Built on the Upper Inn River in the border region between Switzerland and Austria, GKI must comply with multiple strict environmental regulations, such as water-level gradients in the river. To meet this challenge, TIWAG needed to model and manage real-time water flow from different sources, satisfying energy production schedules and reservoir limits while meeting all environmental requirements. The team also needed to supplement in-house knowledge with external expertise on mathematical modeling, optimization, and data management.
Working with MathWorks Consulting Services, TIWAG developed an optimization solution that integrates into its productive SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. The team used Optimization Toolbox™, Parallel Computing Toolbox™, and the Experiment Manager app to solve and improve the mathematical model used in the optimization problem. Additionally, MathWorks Consulting provided expertise on developing a robust DevOps workflow that enables fast updates and easy maintenance of the system, as well as advice on using MATLAB® Test Manager to assess results.
The optimization solution fetches the latest forecast data, simulates the water flow and reservoir levels, and continuously computes an optimized operating schedule for the subsequent 24-hour period. In turn, the results are directly used to control the power plants. By using this solution, TIWAG manages operational complexities while complying with environmental regulations.
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