Traditional PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems are gradually becoming obsolete and no longer supported, while new-generation devices around the world have incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) as a mandatory standard. As technology cycles shorten, power plants that delay digital transformation risk losing their competitive advantages, facing higher upgrade costs, and the danger of falling behind. Recognizing this reality, TMP has clearly affirmed: failing to undergo digital transformation means losing its own competitiveness.

To build a smart power plant, TMP does not follow a fragmented investment approach; instead, it chooses to establish a synchronized technological ecosystem, where all components—from control and monitoring to management and forecasting—are connected and integrated through a unified data system.

Components of the Smart Power Plant. Photo: Ngoc Bich

TMP not only stops at functional systems, but also approaches digital transformation in accordance with international standards, based on the ISA-95 automation pyramid model. This model connects data consistently from field sensors (Level 0) to the enterprise management level (Level 4) — an important foundation for operating the power plant using AI and big data analytics. This structure is clearly illustrated in the following figure:

Automation pyramid according to the ISA-95 model. Photo: Ngoc Bich

Based on the standardized technological ecosystem and control structure, Thac Mo has implemented various AI – IoT – Big Data applications in practice, bringing visible transformations. AI is used to forecast reservoir inflow, supporting safer and more accurate operation. IoT sensors monitor real-time turbine vibration, runner tilt, and partial discharge of generators, enabling early detection of anomalies. In the future, AI applications will forecast early equipment failures, allowing the plant to proactively prevent incidents, reduce unplanned downtime, and implement AI-driven automated maintenance planning to optimize manpower and materials. Particularly, AI will also optimize hydro-solar generation based on market prices, bringing practical business efficiency in an increasingly competitive electricity market.

Meanwhile, Digital Twin — the digital replica of the generating unit — is becoming an important tool in technical analysis and operational decision-making. This technology allows simulation and evaluation of scenarios before applying them in reality, reducing risks and increasing proactivity in dispatching and technical planning. All these applications open a completely new operational model: predictive operation, data-driven operation, and intelligent operation.

These decisive and methodical steps are accelerating Thac Mo toward the Smart Power Plant model, where humans, data, and AI operate as an integrated whole. The future of the electricity industry demands proactivity and continuous innovation, and TMP has chosen that path: moving first, daring to innovate, and staying steadfast toward modernization.

Translator: Vân Ly