Why is it important
The service provision of high-quality electricity and steam is critically important to the economy, for if these products had low reliability, goods manufacturing and service provision would be directly affected, thus harming the business sector. Additionally, the development of energy excellence will lead to efficient resource use and management whichreduces the natural resources shortage risk, decreases pollution and waste, and increase cost efficiency. Nowadays, customers tend to alter their behaviour and needs, notably leaning toward Greenhouse Gas reduction in pursuit of Net Zero. Investment in renewables and pursuit of novel solutions that address energy management requirements therefore assume more importance for future growth of businesses.
Target and Performance
| 2023 | 2024-2030 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Target | Target | |
| Electrical energy excellence | |||
| Combined-cycle cogeneration plant: energy efficiency | 52.1% | >50% | >50% |
| Solar power: Percentage of actual power generation per year | 15.6% | >15% | >15% |
| Wind power: Percentage of actual power generation per year | 31.2% | >27% | >27% |
| Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | |||
| Survey result of customers satisfaction1 | 97.7% | >95% | >95% |
1Ratio of customers with satisfaction scores of 75 percent upwards to all customers. The survey included all customers both Thailand and oversea.
Management Approach and Strategy
Commitment
B.Grimm Power is committed to achieving the highest levels of reliability and availability in the power generation and distribution of high-quality electricity and steam, through reliable energy from operational power of the power grid. We strive to deliver clean, sustainable energy at an affordable price, actively pursuing innovation and new solutions from our partnership with our industrial customers. This is to support the transition to a low-carbon energy, while establishing customer satisfaction and engagement to grow together as partners in a sustainable fashion.
Governance Structure
The administration of power plants for maximum efficiency and customer relationship management falls under the purview of the Power Plant Manager. The Power Plant Manager directly reports to the Managing Director of the power plant group and operates under the supervision of the Executive Vice President, Customer Relations and Power Plant Operation. Critical issues are reviewed and decided by the Management Committee.
Operational excellence
Besides administering efficiency for each power plant under the power plant manager, we have an Operation Technical Service Department, which is responsible for monitoring, analysing, and assessing all power plant’s performance results and cooperating with each power plant, thus leading to continuous overall efficiency improvement.
Customer Relationship Management
At each power plant, we have a customer relations and operation management team that reports directly to the power plant manager. The team regularly monitors, provides information, coordinates, and listens to customer’s comments, expectations, or needs as well as business outlooks. This is done by working collaboratively with the Sales and Marketing Department and System Planning and Energy Solution Business Department reporting to the Executive Vice President - Customer Relations and Operation Management to ensure their understanding of customer’s needs, which lead to jointly pursue new solutions, and formulate strategies for product and service development to cater to customer’s long-term expectations and needs.
Strategy
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Growth toward integrated energy service
We focus on providing reliable and available energy at an affordable price, including sustainable renewable energy which lead us to become a tailored energy solution provider for industrial customers who strive for greenhouse gases emission (GHG) reduction target.
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Expanding our customer base
We aim to reach out to new customer groups such as industrial estate owners and real estate sector who need more clean energy for their businesses.
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Integrate digital technology to support power plant operations
To enhance the efficiency in power plant management, including suitable maintenance plans to mitigate forced/unplanned outage risks.
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Collaborate with partners to study and experiment with new innovations
To prepare for smart grids and promote sustainable energy. This includes integrating clean energy sources to optimise resource uses, be environmentally friendly, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Utilise digital systems to streamline the customer relationship management and analysis of customer data
To tailor personalised product and service offerings to the specific needs of each customer.
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Annual customer satisfaction surveys
These surveys are distributed to all domestic and international customers and the analysis from the findings are utilised to continuous improvement of our service quality to enhance customer satisfaction which lead to further business growth.
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Our operation and maintenance team at each power plant stands ready to provide services around the clock
This is to continuously monitor power distribution to industrial customers and solve their outage problems.
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Complaint management
We have established complaint channels for customers through various formats, including telephone, email, postal mail, and the website, for both power plants and the head office.
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Personal data management
We have announced a policy of personal data protection, appointed a Data Protection Officer, and appointed a taskforce to prevent risks to ensure that we can, through all units, protect the personal data of customers, partners, and employees.
Performance 2023
Operational excellence
Relentlessly, we are forging ahead with the development and improvement of power-generation efficiency in conjunction with technological application. As a result, in 2023 we achieved both efficiency and stability, with power-generating efficiency averaging 52.1 percent and availability factor 97.4 percent in combined-cycle cogeneration plants. Our highlighted projects are described below
The Digital Twins Project
is a power plant management system that is applied to combined-cycle cogeneration plants, which represent a smart grid’s main source of power. The objectives of the project are threefold.
1) Through enabling predictive monitoring, we can analyse the health and service life of our machinery and assess the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of our power generation.
2) This helps aid maintenance planning before damage to machinery, thus fending off impacts on the project’s production process.
3) This helps us to collect and organise production and operational activities data, including information on equipment performance analysis, production capacity, maintenance activities, and electricity sales.
Below are its 3 main components
- AI Health Monitoring: Artificial intelligence compiles operation data for the analysis of production efficiency and capacities, maintenance, and power distribution to support overall management such as efficiency improvement and prevent damage to equipment. This lead to a reduction of resource uses and greenhouse gas emission. We are cooperating in this effort with REPCO NEX under SCG Chemical. This year we expanded it to 14 projects, namely ABP 3-5, ABPR 1-5, BIP 1-2, BPWHA1, and BGPAT1, BGPM1, and BPLC1.
- Continuous Performance Optimisation (CPO): This system hikes power-generation efficiency along with production efficiency across the value chain, thanks to our cooperation with Siemens. The pilot projects were ABP 3-5 in 2022-2023.
- The Common Plant Information Management System (PI): A comprehensive system designed to collect and organise data related to production and operational activities, providing a high level of understanding of the controlled processes and efficient monitoring of production processes. This includes information on equipment performance analysis, production capacity, maintenance activities, and electricity sales. In 2023, the system has expanded to total of 17 power plants, including ABP 1-5, ABPR 1-5, BPWHA1, BGPAT1-3, AIE-MTP, and BPLC1.
The Advanced Distribution Monitoring System (ADMS): serves as a platform that efficiently monitors and controls the electricity transmission and distribution system from various sources. These sources include diverse energy generation such as Co-generation power plants, Solar rooftop, Solar floating, or Energy storage systems using batteries. The ADMS also aids in analysis and operational planning, ensuring optimisation while maintaining the stability of the power system. Additionally, it prepares for managing Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), which are expected to increase in the future. The system is designed to accommodate the transition to a Smart network control system. The pilot projects were ABP 1-5 and ABPR 1-5.
Other Projects designed to upgrade production efficiency and stability include the following.
- Introduction of the latest technology at replacement power plants such as Gas turbine and Gas Heater, which lowered gas consumption by 10 - 15 percent per production unit from the unit replaced. We applied this to 5 power plants in 2023.
- Upgrading gas turbines in existing power plants to enhance electricity generation capacity, improve power-generation efficiency by up to 7 MW per project, promoting availability by reducing the number of days for planned outage maintenance, and contributes to a 1 percent reduction in natural gas usage per project. In 2023 we successfully upgraded the gas turbines of one power plant at the SSUT 2, bringing the total number of upgraded plants to 101 power plants since the project launch in 2018.
- The Smart Data Logger Solar Farm Project applied digital technology to the preparation of reports and monitoring of plant operation focusing on automatic data analysis and comparison for improvement of solar farm production with significantly increase plant’s efficiency by 5 percent. In 2023, the smart data loggers are implemented to all solar farms in Thailand.
- We have plans to initiate a pilot project to support a circular economy in 2024 by repurposing degraded solar panel from solar farm to power the perimeter lighting and office space of our power plant.
1B.Grimm Power operates a total of 8 power plants through its subsidiaries and an additional 2 power plants through joint ventures.
Customer Relationship Management
In 2023, our survey topics cover four aspects: confidence in the organisation, quality of power and utility service, personnel and service, and communication. Overall satisfied customers accounted for 97.7 percent (Thailand and overseas) versus over 95 percent goal. The findings were analysed and improved on, as well as the services being scaled up. No dispute or litigation arose between customers and B.Grimm Power; no violation or complaint was made about customers’ personal data protection this year. The highlights are described below.
Customer web service
This online platform enables customers to view real-time power and historical power consumption at any time to analyse and plan their consumption for cost reduction, energy efficiency improvement and further energy management planning.
Demand-side management
This practice yields suitable resource consumption through joint planning with customers in adjusting their power consumption during certain periods to promote optimal power efficiency. Customers can control their energy costs, while power plants can operate at optimal efficiency during peak and off-peak demand periods.
Implement the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform
to efficiently manage customer data. This ensures better control and monitoring of operations, minimising errors and enhancing efficiency in both sales and customer service. This approach responds directly to customer needs and provides increased opportunities for sales.
Training of sales personnel and Customer Relations
to provide up-to-date knowledge and develop personnel’s calibre for service to accommodate future growth opportunities. This year we covered a variety of topics, including the policy direction of energy and utility businesses, Automatic Metre Reading (AMR), customer stewardship guidance, calculation of power tariffs, power and steam sales agreements, energy trading, GHG reduction, alternative energy, and carbon credit.
Customer visits by senior management
This includes tracking customer business trends, investment plans, and electricity usage plans. The knowledge derived from customer visits help us better plan power generation administration for optimal efficiency. In 2023, the scope of visiting customers expanded from only key account visits to engaging with every customer. This activity also supports us in forging cordial relationships and improves our service to meet customer demands.
Training sessions for customers
on electricity cost calculations, addressing the challenges arising from increased electricity rates. This Tailored Solution empowers customers to analyse data for better electricity cost management, addressing individual customer concerns. There are plans to expand these training sessions to cover all customers who responds to our presentation plan comprehensively.
Organisation of public relations activities with Amata B.Grimm Power’s Partners
and recommendation of service along with business directions focusing on provision of clean energy to our target groups, including operators in industrial estates, owners of industrial estates, and real estate sector owners of properties.
