Formerly Hitachi ABB Power Grids, the global technology company is rebranding as Hitachi Energy.
Speaking from its global headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy, commented, “At Hitachi Energy, we are championing the urgency of a clean energy transition, through innovation and collaboration. There are many pathways towards a carbon-neutral future – to tackle this global challenge, we nurture diverse global teams bringing authentic passion and enduring ownership.” He continued, “By 2050, global electrification will near‐double in demand and electricity will be the backbone of the entire energy system."
The carbon-neutral energy system will be highly interconnected and HVDC, a technology we have pioneered over 60 years ago is one of the key enablers for bulk renewable energy resources integration and reliable interconnection across countries, regions and continents.
Hitachi Energy is contributing to many of these interconnections, such as the recently announced award of Saudi Arabia – Egypt HVDC interconnector (October 5, 2021) – a large-scale interconnector and the start of operation of North Sea Link (October 1, 2021) – at 720 kilometers, NSL links Norway and the UK, enabling the exchange of renewable energy between the countries.
To complement interconnections and meet the growing need for energy system flexibility, Hitachi Energy is also supporting customers with grid edge solutions such as microgrids and energy storage. A recent example can be seen in Cordova, Alaska, where the community has been able to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, whilst gaining energy independence.
One of the related topics is the importance of digitalization which is critical for overcoming the complexity and capacity challenges brought about by the larger volumes of variable renewable energy being integrated into the world’s energy system. For example, by combining advanced digital solutions and services, Lumada Asset Performance Management provides health and performance insights to prevent critical asset failures while optimizing asset lifecycle costs. It enables customers to leverage online and offline data to drive more intelligent, risk-based approaches to asset management.
Hitachi Energy is fostering collaboration with customers and partners to find global solutions to solve the global challenge of an inclusive and equitable carbon-neutral future. Earlier this year, the business launched EconiQ – its eco-efficient portfolio. The business also recently launched a portfolio of transformer products for offshore floating applications, designed to overcome the challenging offshore environment and efficiently harvest and integrate wind into the global energy system, directly supporting the transition to a sustainable energy future.
According to the company, Hitachi Energy reflects the rapidly evolving energy landscape and the opportunity to create economic, environmental and social value.
The business formally registered Hitachi Energy Ltd. on June 30, 2021 and is currently undertaking the formal process for the change of names globally, with the exception of China where the business will transition at a later date. Hitachi, Ltd. has an 80.1 percent stake in the joint venture which started operations on July 1, 2020, and ABB Ltd. holds the balance.
