Utilities in transmission, distribution, and generation are at the forefront of the shift towards low-carbon, efficient, and sustainable energy. Globally, grids are evolving to meet today’s needs while preparing for the demands of tomorrow. As such, operators are grappling with a variety of challenges, from expanding grids swiftly and efficiently, to bolstering resilience against extreme weather events caused by climate change, and modernizing operations to be more flexible and secure. Hitachi Energy continues to serve as a steadfast partner to utilities worldwide, ramping up investments in capacity expansion and eco-efficient technologies in order to achieve our shared goal of a carbon-neutral future.
This month we are getting ready for the 60th anniversary of the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition, taking place this year in Anaheim California. This bi-annual conference provides a great opportunity to engage with our customers, partners, and other stakeholders around our technological expertise and solutions to power the clean energy transition. During the last gathering in 2022, IEEE PES T&D welcomed nearly 10,000 people and this year an even larger number of attendees are expected to join us in addressing the need for efficient and reliable energy solutions.
The world’s first eco-efficient dead tank breaker
A testament to our commitment to grid sustainability, our groundbreaking EconiQ™ 420kV dead tank breaker (DTB) entirely eliminates sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas while still maintaining the same level of performance and size as its traditional counterparts. While the release of SF6 is quite rare, its potency as a greenhouse gas is about 25,000 times higher than carbon dioxide and can remain the atmosphere for as long as 3,200 years. So, to help our customers minimize this risk, we’ve switched out SF6 for a greener alternative – a gas blend of fluoronitrile (C4-FN), a desirable choice when space is a constraint for customers. Since its first delivery to our customer in June 2023 there has been a marked shift in high voltage technology demand, particularly in North America, with sales of more than 100 units secured in recent months.
Given the growing demand for eco-efficient switchgear technology, our EconiQ portfolio is geared for applications across diverse voltage ranges, equipment types, and services. Make sure to stop by and experience this technology at your fingertips with a unique chance to view comprehensive models of our product. In addition to a hands-on experience, we’ve gone one step further in our booth this year with the opportunity for visitors to engage in immersive, augmented reality interactive visuals detailing how our solutions can satisfy the key priorities of expansion and modernization, resiliency and reliability, flexibility and sustainability.
Expanding our manufacturing capacity
Transformers play a key role across the power value chain, enabling efficient transmission and distribution of electricity. A key component for applications, transformers are crucial in aiding the integration of renewables, establishing grid interconnections, powering data centers and electrifying transportation, and facilitating the decarbonization of energy systems.
Hitachi Energy’s recent 1.5 billion investment in expanding its global transformer manufacturing capacity couldn’t come at a better time in order to address our customers' mid- and long-term needs. As utilities and energy systems evolve, the demand for reliable and efficient infrastructure is more pressing than ever to ensure that communities and industries have access to the energy they need. We are developing our global footprint and capacity as well as progressing in digitalization and technology to deliver even more sustainable and reliable solutions that align with our own Sustainability 2030 plan.
This builds on the company’s earlier $3 billion in investments, announced last year, to progress the energy transition, as well as another announcement made last week of more than $100 million towards a testing facility and various projects for Hitachi Energy’s transformer manufacturing location in Varennes, Quebec.
As a core manufacturing location for the North American region, the additional 130,000 square foot testing facility in Varennes will support the certification of power transformers manufactured at the plant, serving as an essential part of the final acceptance process for customers. The testing facility is expected to be completed before the end of 2027. This aligns with Quebec's broader strategy to meet its ambitious energy goals, including the need for more than 150 terawatt-hours (TWh) of additional energy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, endorsed by funding from the provincial government through Investissement Quebec.
Driving Digitalization
Hand in hand with these efforts is our growing focus on expanding our service and digital capabilities to help utilities and industrial customers operate and maintain their electrical assets. Digitalization enables efficient operations across the whole value chain, enabling reliability-centered asset management programs to help our customers extend transformers' life cycle, support sustainability, and allow delayed investments in new equipment. Enabling the electrification of transportation and other industries, software solutions like our Lumada Asset Management Platform (APM) are ideally suited to help customers connect, automate and protect their energy networks.
We've got the end-to-end technology and on-the-ground expertise to manage the complexity of the future grid.
If you’re heading to IEEE PES T&D we’d be happy to arrange a conversation with one of our executives, show off one of our exciting new demos, and explore the ways we are focusing on meeting fast-growing customer demand. So, join us at booth #4423 and take advantage of our water refill station to hydrate or our complimentary coffee to fuel your day.
Find out more about our products, presentations, and our student poster contest at the event by visiting our Hitachi Energy @ IEEE PES T&D 2024 page. We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim!