| Company | PT Vale Indonesia |
| Location |
Indonesia
|
| Project Overview | PT Vale operates extensive mining facilities in Indonesia, relying on a 30 km electrical distribution network to power critical infrastructure, including its crushing station. Frequent electrical faults were causing significant disruptions to operations, leading to prolonged downtime and substantial financial losses. To address these challenges, PT Vale implemented Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® (IGS), enabling real-time monitoring and rapid fault localization. The project aimed to minimize downtime, reduce operational inefficiencies, and improve overall system reliability. |
| Products |
PT Vale’s mining operations in Indonesia, particularly at the crushing station, were frequently disrupted by electrical faults across a 30 km distribution network.
Locating these faults was a manual and time-consuming process, taking an average of 6.4 hours per incident and accounting for 63% of total downtime.
The impact was significant: during one period alone, 47 hours of power outages resulted in production losses of Rp49.5 billion.
To address this, PT Vale implemented Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® (IGS).
This sensor-based solution uses advanced algorithms to pinpoint fault locations in real time, delivering actionable insights directly to:
the control room dashboard, and
field teams via the GridGuardian mobile application
This enabled faster, data-driven response to disturbances without relying on manual fault tracing.
Faster Fault Resolution
Fault location time reduced from 6.4 hours to 1.8 hours (–71%)
Non-productive search time reduced from 63% to 22%
Financial Impact
Rp4.78 billion in avoided losses per disturbance
Rp28.7 billion saved across six post-implementation incidents
Break-even achieved after the first disturbance
Operational Efficiency and Sustainability
Manpower reduced from two technicians to one per fault
CO₂ emissions reduced from 145 kg to 40 kg per incident
Improved team morale due to reduced stress and faster resolution times
Industry Impact
Following its success, Safegrid’s IGS has been expanded to other parts of PT Vale’s network.
The project is now recognized as a benchmark deployment in Indonesia, marking one of the first large-scale implementations of intelligent fault location technology in a distribution network.
The implementation of Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® (IGS) transformed PT Vale’s approach to managing electrical faults. By enabling real-time fault detection and precise location, the company significantly reduced downtime, operational costs, and environmental impact.
This case demonstrates the value of intelligent grid monitoring in high-demand industrial environments, where reliability and efficiency are critical. PT Vale’s success highlights how digital technologies can deliver rapid return on investment while setting new standards for performance and sustainability in the mining sector.