MM wanted to move to a digital solution to optimize their energy usage.
As the MM water network consists of 28 pump stations pumping directly into one pressurised network, there is no storage available in the network. The water company decided to source an energy management solution for their water distribution network. MM understood that digitalising the network and gaining advanced control and energy optimization of the water network was a way for them to future proof the management of it network in their demanding operational context.
MM decided to invest in AQUADVANCED® Water Supply (formerly AQUADVANCED® Energy) as a full monitoring, management and optimisation ecosystem that would help MM achieve their energy savings and efficiency targets.
The real time optimiser uses continuously collected data and calculates optimized pumping strategies that can be implemented automatically.
To do so, the system:
- Manages real time data acquisition, validation and computation
- Predicts water consumption demand
- Calculates optimised control strategies
- Confirms operation with a real time hydraulic model
- Sends commands and set points via SCADA to pumps and valves.
Energy intensity decreased 8%.
Since its initial deployment in three distinct phases beginning in 2019, MM has been able to achieve energy savings right from the outset.
Energy intensity decreased 8%. The quantity of energy needed to produce and distribute each cubic meter of water reduced 8% to 0.3382 kWh/m3.
This 8% represented a saving of 6,400 MWh per year or €410,000 per year. In addition, this represents a saving of 2,600 t CO2/year (at 400g/kWh).
The project achieved 8% saving in energy in 2020 compared with baseline, which was €410,000 in the first year. It is worth noting that there were sharp rises in energy prices due to the Covid pandemic and war in Ukraine (from €64 in 2020 to €120 in 2024). By installing AQUADVANCED® Energy, MM was well prepared for the future. Without implementing the tool, the utility company would have been facing an incremental charge of €768,000 per annum.
We looked for a solution that could precisely give us support for the decisions we make hour after hour in our power plants and management. Less energy consumption translates into lower costs but is also advantageous from an environmental point of view as energy production equals CO2 production.Andrea Aliscioni , MM Spa
AQUADVANCED Water Supply Case Study with Metropolitana Milanese
