Gasunie's long-term collaboration with Gradyent to decarbonise heating via WarmtelinQ 

Gasunie is spearheading WarmtelinQ, one of the most ambitious and expansive sustainable energy infrastructure projects in the Netherlands. As the WarmtelinQ initiative continues through pipeline installation, the heating system will require a digital simulation and control solution for day-ahead nomination and daily operational management.

Building on prior cooperation, the company picked Gradyent as its SaaS solution provider to supply the features WarmtelinQ needs for the next four years, with the option of extending it for up to ten years.

Challenge 

The WarmtelinQ operation relies heavily on aligning heat supply with demand given the long travel time of heat through the pipes, hydraulic constraints, and the involvement of multiple commercial suppliers and consumers.

To accurately plan for the next heating day based on predicted demand and supply, a real-time solution for day-ahead planning and daily operations was essential. Consequently, the company issued a European tender to find an ideal partner for the initiative.

Solution 

Gradyent, having won the tender, established a long-term collaboration with Gasunie to develop a Digital Twin that will serve as the central simulation tool for creating day-ahead transport plans and enabling real-time monitoring and control of the network.

The simulation is used to support nomination processes where commercial demands and production schedules are validated and matched against technical and physical real-live conditions. This is done taking into account the current situation, including possible unavailability or calamities. The Digital Twin is also used to monitor the live network and alert operators if any unexpected events occur.

Results

Real-time simulations

The Digital Twin platform will offer real-time simulations for locations lacking measurements. It will also forecast network process conditions and provide guidance on new set points in case of deviations or for simulation model maintenance.

Scenario studies

In parallel, in preparation of further phases of the WarmtelinQ network when additional entries and exits will be connected, Gradyent’s Digital Twin is used to run offline scenarios. These scenarios give actionable insights in the effectiveness of the foreseen hardware set-up and operational process. 

Live operational monitoring

In addition to serving as the simulation software for establishing the day-ahead transport plan, WarmtelinQ will use Gradyent’s Digital Twin for live operational monitoring and pump control optimisation. This solution will give operators a comprehensive overview of the network status and suggest the best alternatives when deviations occur from the expected behaviour.

This capability ensures that WarmtelinQ can reliably execute heat transport and promptly correct any deviations throughout the day. Simultaneously, it minimises electricity costs for pumps through live pump control.

Live data connection

Gradyent has a continuously running live data connection with the Gasunie software infrastructure, having passed an extensive user acceptance testing phase where dispatchers interacted with the Digital Twin in a scenario setting. That way, they’re fully prepared when the WarmtelinQ pipeline is in operation. 

As WarmtelinQ expands to include more cities in the network, Gradyent’s Digital Twin will seamlessly scale to accommodate the growth.

“Gradyent is very proud to collaborate with Gasunie on this long-term partnership to bring to life one of the most ambitious residual heat projects in the world. Together, we are creating the digital backbone that will enable reliable, efficient, and sustainable heat transport for decades to come.”

Robert Vrancken, CTO at Gradyent