AENA, Barcelona El Prat Airport

Wonderware Software Facilitates a Decade of Integration and Growth for Unprecedented Spanish Airport Expansion

Spanish Airports and Air Navigation (AENA) is a public company in charge of civil air navigation and airports in Spain. Its subsidiary, AENA Aeropuertos SA, manages 47 airports and two heliports in Spain and participates directly in the management of 28 other terminals throughout the world. In passenger count, AENA is the world’s leading airport operator with about 200 million passengers per year. 

The Barcelona El Prat Airport, together with the Port of Barcelona and the city’s Zona Franca area, serves as a vital hub for the region’s economy and is integral to tourism in the region. Recorded airport traffic in 2010 was 29,209,595 passengers, 277,832 operations and 104,280 tons of cargo.

To modernize the airport and prepare for future demands, major improvements to infrastructure and services have been made.

In 2000, 15 to 20 integrators were engaged in supporting the airport control systems. Each vendor implemented a separate solution, resulting in a multiplicity of technologies. The airport’s operators had to learn all of these different tools, which made it practically impossible for the facility to function smoothly.

Management searched the market for a solution. They wanted a control architecture that would provide:

• A single platform, to unite the control systems of the existing facilities and the future expansions
• Reliability, to support efficient and safe airport operations and avoid downtime in airport services
• Scalability, to handle the addition of a second large terminal building and integrate the annex buildings and other systems into one infrastructure
• Economy, to meet the budget restrictions of a public project

When considering their goals and plans for expansion, the choice for AENA was Wonderware software. It met management’s criteria, plus it offered the only non-proprietary solution, providing a better alternative to disparate systems and the high costs and operator challenges the airport had experienced in the past.

Today, the control environment of the airport is almost completely integrated, AENA is achieving operations excellence, and the Barcelona Airport boasts a dynamic, high-functioning infrastructure. According to the AENA team, the most outstanding benefit so far is that the solution enables them to manage a large number of processes in an integrated and simultaneous manner under a single platform – even with so many devices and signals with distinct technological languages.

“The centralization of operations that we get with Wonderware helps manage around 700,000 signals and is essential for a critical infrastructure like this. We can now quickly respond to incidents and also be proactive in optimizing management.”
– Jordi Asensi, Head of Systems and Database Management, AENA Barcelona Airport

Once the full expansion is complete, nearly 1,000,000 signals will be controlled under the unified platform. With Wonderware technology and the vision and teamwork of numerous executives and integrators, the Barcelona Airport is one of the most emblematic projects for AENA to date, and AENA’s commitment to Wonderware software as their standard for handling the 47 airports they operate in Spain is stronger than ever.

For more information, read the complete AENA, Barcelona El Prat Airport success story and/or reference any of our Wonderware Transportation or Facilities Management success stories.

Invensys Participates in CityNext

Company engages with government, businesses and citizens to shape next-gen cities

AUGUST 15, 2013 / HOUSTON, TEXAS – Invensys, a focused supplier of state-of-the-art industrial software, systems and control equipment to the world’s major industries, is working with Microsoft on CityNext, an initiative designed to help governments, businesses and citizens reimagine what is next for their cities.

According to the United Nations, for the first time in history, more than 50 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas and nearly 70 percent of people will live in cities by 2050. This ongoing migration creates unprecedented opportunities, but also intensifies problems such as aging infrastructure, hazards to public health and safety, pollution, crime and traffic. Through the CityNext initiative, Microsoft and Invensys will help leaders do “new with less.” By combining the power of technology with innovative ideas, CityNext will connect governments, businesses and citizens with city services that increase efficiencies, reduce costs, foster a more sustainable environment and cultivate communities where people thrive. 

Invensys, through its Wonderware^® software product line and partner solutions, provides unique, modern industrial software solutions, systems and control equipment that help improve critical infrastructure operations, including for cities of all sizes. These solutions help cities provide essential, life-sustaining services like clean drinking water, sanitary wastewater treatment, reliable electricity, safe transportation and other services. Wonderware software solutions help clients utilize critical data to make better, faster decisions and improve efficiency. Operational information of practically any kind can be securely viewed in real time from anywhere at any time, from a single, integrated and open Wonderware software platform. 

“Our participation in Microsoft CityNext demonstrates our commitment to helping cities be smarter, more sustainable and more innovative now and to modernize for the future,” said Rob McGreevy, vice president of platforms and applications for Invensys. “Microsoft’s latest technologies will provide us with greater opportunities to help our municipal customers transform and modernize their city operations using familiar, secure Wonderware technology and devices. Through this program, cities will be able to engage their citizens and businesses using mobile applications and big data analytics, helping to accelerate innovation and opportunities through community development and workforce enablement programs.”  

"We’re thrilled to partner with Invensys on CityNext. Microsoft prioritizes putting people and partners first in our initiatives and CityNext is no different,” said Laura Ipsen, corporate vice president Microsoft Worldwide Public Sector. “Even though cities are feeling the strain from economic challenges, we believe a new era of innovation will create opportunities for people to utilize technology to accomplish what they never thought possible. We’re inspired by our diverse partner ecosystem and know that working together we can help cities realize their full potential.”

Related Links:

  Invensys News Release
  Microsoft CityNext News Release

  CityNext Website

  CityNext Video

Wonderware Software Reduces Waste and Justifies Investment for Calabria Water Resources

For over 30 years, Società Risorse Idriche Calabresi (So.Ri.Cal.) has supplied drinking water to the people in the Calabria Region of Italy. The agency is responsible for a far-reaching system that covers approximately 6,000 kilometers and is comprised of 200 aqueduct systems, four dams, 10 derivation crossbars, 14 wastewater plants, 300 lifting stations and almost 1,000 tanks. In this region, water conservation is emphasized, but the challenge is compounded by the mountainous geography of Calabria and the remote location of much of the system.

 

 

Recognizing a substantial opportunity to reduce waste and improve efficiency, So.Ri.Cal organized a new department to tackle the project. The goal was to create a pilot system that would incorporate innovative remote control and automated solutions to optimize water production and better conserve this precious resource. From the beginning, the strategy was focused on finding the most efficient way to manage and unify this complex aqueduct system. The best solution would be flexible; it would prove itself in the pilot and then scale to the larger operation, which is divided into three macro-areas and ten different management areas.

 

With Wonderware, So.Ri.Cal. found a flexible, open and scalable software platform. They chose the software because it provides comprehensive capabilities, plus great investment protection. Not only is Wonderware known for its ease of use, but its independent, open platform will allow So.Ri.Cal. to expand by integrating any hardware, control systems and automation products on the market.

 

So.Ri.Cal. now has precise, real-time data on the lifting and supply network. They can manage events in the field and guarantee water and energy savings. With the great success of the pilot program, the Wonderware solution will be implemented across the entire system. 

 

"By the end of the test phase, the Wonderware solution will provide immediate ROI and justify our investment."
- Sergio De Marco, General Director, Società Risorse Idriche Calabresi 

 

For more information, read the complete success story here and/or access any of our Wonderware Water & Wastewater Industry success stories.