Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority (CNNGA) is a public utility serving communities across South Carolina, providing safe and reliable natural gas distribution since 1952. As part of its operations, CNNGA relies on a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor and control its gas infrastructure.
The Challenge
CNNGA faced increasing operational challenges related to its aging SCADA environment. Key issues included:
- System performance limitations and intermittent reliability concerns.
- Outdated GE iFIX HMI/SCADA software that lacked modern functionality and support.
- Limited visibility into real-time system data, impacting operational efficiency and response time.
- Growing need for a scalable solution to support future expansion and regulatory compliance.
- Lack of dedicated long-term technical support for ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting.
These challenges created operational risk and reduced the effectiveness of CNNGA’s monitoring and control capabilities.
The Solution
ACRI Services and Consulting was engaged to assess, troubleshoot, upgrade, and provide ongoing support for CNNGA’s SCADA system. The project included several key components:
- Comprehensive SCADA system assessment to identify performance bottlenecks, configuration gaps, and reliability issues.
- Troubleshooting and resolution of existing system faults to stabilize operations.
- Upgrade of the GE Vernova iFIX HMI/SCADA platform to a modern, fully supported version, improving system performance and security.
- Development and optimization of SCADA screens, alarms, and data flows to enhance operator visibility and usability.
- Implementation of best practices for system architecture, redundancy, and data integrity.
- Establishment of long-term support services, including remote troubleshooting, system maintenance, and future enhancement planning.
ACRI worked closely with CNNGA stakeholders to ensure minimal operational disruption during the upgrade and to align the system with both current and future needs.
The Results
The engagement delivered measurable improvements in system performance, reliability, and operational efficiency:
- Enhanced system stability and reduced downtime through proactive troubleshooting and modernization.
- Improved real-time visibility into gas distribution operations, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.
- Increased operator efficiency through optimized HMI design and streamlined workflows.
- Strengthened cybersecurity and compliance posture with updated software and system configurations.
- Scalable SCADA infrastructure capable of supporting future growth and integration.
- Ongoing support partnership providing CNNGA with reliable access to SCADA expertise and continuous system improvement.
By modernizing its SCADA environment and establishing a long-term support framework, CNNGA significantly improved its operational resilience and positioned itself for sustained success.