RWE is making its power station control system fit for the future by adopting a new technology. Optime, a new SCADA system based on Siemens Spectrum Power, gives RWE a uniform control technology. SCADA stands for 'Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition' – in other words monitoring and managing technical processes using a computer system. Previously, there were two separate systems: one for power plants in Germany and another for the Netherlands and Belgium. The new solution combines the two, while integrating RWE’s renewable energy assets in Europe. It can also accommodate additional units such as battery storage systems and diesel-powered backup generators.