Sydney – Digital Twins for Electricity Network Asset Management

In the evolving landscape of asset management, digital twins have emerged as a transformative technology, offering robust solutions to enhance the optimisation of risk, cost and performance across Ausgrid’s network assets. This presentation delves into the concept of digital twins—virtual replicas of physical assets—and explores their emerging role in supporting decision-making across the asset management lifecycle.

Digital twins enable large-scale asset monitoring and preventative maintenance opportunities, allowing organisations to address asset condition proactively—before it degrades to failure. By leveraging advanced data analytics and machine learning, digital twins provide actionable insights that drive informed decision-making, thereby reducing operational risk and extending asset lifecycles.

Furthermore, the integration of digital twins into Ausgrid’s asset management system facilitates a comprehensive understanding of asset risk and performance under varying conditions. This holistic view supports the optimisation of asset utilisation, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.

This presentation by Ausgrid’s Alex Watters (Manager Asset Insights) and Stephanie Forsmann (ND Program Development Manager) will highlight case studies and practical applications at Ausgrid, demonstrating how our implementation of a digital twin is contributing to cost savings, enhanced reliability, and improved overall asset performance to meet stakeholder requirements.

Join us to explore the future of asset management through the lens of digital twins, and discover how this technology is helping Ausgrid deliver tangible benefits in managing our $18 billion asset base.

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Alex Watters is Manager of Asset Insights at Ausgrid, where he has worked for the past 17 years. A trained electrical engineer with experience in design, system planning, reliability modelling, and new technology integration, Alex’s current role is focused on asset information management and the development of digital assets for Ausgrid—including the digital twin, artificial intelligence tools, and Ausgrid’s drone inspection program. Under the $15 million Network Digitisation Program, for which Ausgrid has secured regulatory funding for the 2024–2029 regulatory period, Alex and his team are expanding and enhancing Ausgrid’s digital twin and associated systems to leverage the increasing volume and quality of information about the network and its operating environment.

Stephanie Forsmann is a Program Development Manager at Ausgrid, with over 20 years’ experience delivering large-scale programs across digital transformation, asset management, and sustainability. With a strong engineering background and deep knowledge of IT systems, change management, and commercial strategy, Stephanie has led initiatives that improve asset performance, enhance service delivery, and drive innovation. She is a passionate advocate for integrating people, processes, and technology in asset-rich environments.