ENERGY
AT THE GRID EDGE
The increasing influence of digitalisation creates new possibilities for the energy sector as power generation becomes increasingly decentralised and automated. Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO, Siemens Southern and East Africa, speaks to IMIESA about trends shaping the future.
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Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO, Siemens Southern and East Africa
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IMIESA July 2022
t the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in 2021, member countries reaffirmed their commitment to greenhouse gas emissions reductions and a net-zero carbon future. Since this requires major shifts away from fossil fuel reliance, the so-called Just Energy Transition (JET) movement presents an argument for a progressive change that balances the environment with socio-economic realities. To this end, COP26 mapped out funding and investment programmes that help developed and developing nations achieve an equitable transition. South Africa, which relies heavily on coal for its energy, is a prime candidate and will receive ongoing support in terms of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) concluded in 2021 with the governments of France, Germany, the UK, USA, and EU.
As a technology provider, Siemens is well placed to lead the transition to reduce carbon emissions across industries.
Siemens Xcelerator Further innovation will now be supported by the recent launch of Siemens Xcelerator. “An open digital business platform, Siemens Xcelerator is designed to assist customers in their digital transformation journey,” Dall’Omo explains. Xcelerator offerings include Building X – an end-to-end data and analytics suite for key categories like energy management, security and building maintenance. An allied solution, known as Industrial Operations X, will bridge the virtual and physical world in similar ways in optimising processes for specific industries. “These and other developments within Siemens drive our understanding of how we’ll generate electricity in the future, use it and consume it,” Dall’Omo continues. “Examples include the evolution of domestic and industrial
