Power under control: how a major multi-utility slashed unplanned downtime by 43% with an intelligent digital twin

In the heart of Europe, one of the continent’s leading multi-utilities in the energy and environmental services sector launched a far-reaching digital transformation programme to overhaul the operations of a key thermal power plant. The facility, which supplies critical baseload energy to industrial and public sector clients, had been facing persistent challenges linked to unplanned outages and unsustainable maintenance costs.

The strategic challenge

The maintenance model in place relied heavily on time-based and condition-based approaches, underpinned by scheduled inspections and manual audits. However, this methodology proved insufficient to detect early-stage failures in complex assets such as gas turbines, alternators and heat exchangers. In several instances, minor irregularities went unnoticed until they escalated into critical breakdowns, resulting in emergency repairs, contractual penalties and reputational damage.

The organisation needed to move from reactive firefighting to predictive foresight.

The solution: a predictive, multi-layered digital twin

To achieve this, the utility deployed a plant-wide digital twin, developed in collaboration with industrial technology partners and a cross-functional team specialising in edge computing, AI and industrial automation. The digital twin was built on three technological pillars:

First, a high-fidelity virtual model was created, providing a real-time 3D replica of the plant. The model was derived from advanced CAD sources and synchronised with the structural and operational parameters of the live facility.

Secondly, an extensive IoT network operating on edge architecture was installed. Over 1,400 sensors were deployed across critical assets to continuously monitor temperature, vibration, fluid dynamics, energy consumption and operating conditions. Data were pre-processed locally through edge gateways and transmitted via MQTT protocols to a secure private cloud environment for advanced analytics.

Finally, the deployment featured a hybrid AI engine that combined physical modelling with machine learning trained on historical data. This predictive layer enabled early detection of anomalies and simulated future system behaviour. The result: targeted maintenance interventions could be recommended with surgical precision—neither premature nor delayed.

The system was fully integrated with the plant’s existing SCADA infrastructure, enabling field technicians to receive alerts and prescriptions directly through their familiar HMIs. This avoided the need for costly retooling or extensive retraining.

Tangible results, strategic value

Within twelve months of rollout, the utility reported a 43% reduction in unplanned downtime and a 27% increase in Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). Today, more than half of all maintenance interventions are predictively triggered, significantly reducing operational workload and cost overheads, while enhancing system availability.

Yet the most impactful outcome lies in strategic foresight: engineering leadership can now simulate stress scenarios such as demand spikes or climate-induced overloads, and proactively test operational responses. This capability not only safeguards production continuity, but also informs long-term planning across CAPEX and OPEX horizons.

The digital twin has evolved from a technical enhancement to a strategic asset—a decision-support system capable of surfacing critical insights across operational and executive layers. Real-time dashboards and predictive analytics allow for evidence-based choices that materially influence competitiveness.

Why Uniquon

In industrial sectors where operational resilience and capital efficiency are paramount, Uniquon stands as a strategic partner for forward-thinking B2B enterprises. Our approach goes beyond technology implementation—we co-engineer scalable, secure and fully integrated digital capabilities tailored to each client’s operational DNA.

With deep vertical expertise and a robust ecosystem of technology partners, Uniquon supports complex organisations—across energy, manufacturing, logistics and utilities—in the adoption of Digital Twin, Industrial AI, Smart IoT and cloud-native architectures.