TOGETHER with clients, partners, governments and other key stakeholders, Hitachi Energy is pioneering technologies to enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a car-bon-neutral future. The global technology leader provides the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain, says Malvin Naicker, MD for sub-Saharan Africa.
“South Africa is seeing the wholesale transformation of its energy system,” says Naicker. It encompasses generation, transmission, distribution, storage, monitoring and control. As renewables ultimately replace fossil fuels, power grids must remain resilient and become even more flexible to adapt to fast-changing de-mands.
“It places the spotlight on innovative new technologies in the energy sector,” says Naicker. The focus on re-newable energy and microgrid solutions with battery energy storage systems (BESS) is ideal to ensure stable and sustainable power by harnessing solar energy for a clean-energy future.
Even though coal continues to play a dominant role in South Africa’s power mix, the country can still leverage the massive opportunity of harnessing renewables and distributed energy resources. Here Asset Perfor-mance Management (APM) is key to continuously monitor the health of assets and predict potential failures and reprioritise maintenance.
Hitachi Energy’s Lumada APM not only enables a more effective maintenance management environment, but also improves the productivity of the technical teams carrying out the work. Hitachi Energy’s e-mesh digital ecosystem provides software management for distributed generation at both a local and fleet level, with built-in maintenance management for performance prediction.
The e-mesh portfolio offers end-to-end distributed energy solutions, combining advanced analytics, software technology, and hardware systems. Hitachi Energy’s PowerStore BESS ensures the highest penetration of renewables share, increases grid stability and provides reliable power while minimising CO2 emissions.
Hitachi Energy’s BESS solutions focus on grid support functions and are designed to work with third-party batteries. Currently, the technologies deployed in high-energy projects include Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Li-ion chemistries. This could extend to other battery chemistries in the future.
Network Manager is an integrated network operations platform that includes advanced distribution man-agement system (ADMS) capabilities to extend grid control and optimisation. It provides functionality for the safe and efficient operation of sub-transmission, medium- and low-voltage distribution networks.
“It is important to note that Hitachi Energy is a technology and solutions provider,” says Naicker. Its Energy Trading & Risk Management (ETRM) solutions consistently win awards and recognition from users and re-nowned industry think tanks, thereby confirming its track record as a global ETRM leader.
