“ We need to shrink the problem of energy consumption . We underestimate how important efficiency is and how important it is to electrify certain processes that are not electrified today ”
The future is digitalisation Digitalisation is becoming increasingly critical for optimising existing grid assets , and enhancing their efficiency and performance .
This is a key feature of Siemens Energy ’ s efforts within the energy transition – Bruch believes integrating renewables into the power grid requires adopting new technologies due to the increased complexity , not only for transmitting power but also for storing energy due to their intermittent power generation .
“ We ’ re looking at an unprecedented speed of implementing projects in the next few decades . All these 2030 commitments – this sounds like big growth , but we ’ re not able to build this amount physically … we ’ re going to need digitalisation to get the most out of our existing infrastructure and get the inefficiencies out of the system . We will need digital if we want to introduce renewables . It ’ s not just an efficiency element , it ’ s an indispensable enabler to drive the energy transition ,” states Bruch .
Energy infrastructure in the future The need for energy worldwide is expected to grow over the medium and long-term , with electricity demand projected to rise by about 50 % in the next two decades . Bruch believes that addressing the increase in demand while tackling climate change requires a sustainable , affordable , and dependable approach . The push towards decarbonisation is driving the shift towards renewable energy sources for both centralised and distributed power generation .
“ How do we foster energy transition within this grey zone which still has fossil fuel dependence – there is no other way but to go through this valley of phasing out fossil fuels . Just by ignoring this , it doesn ’ t go away ,” Bruch explains .
This shift necessitates environmentally friendly products and systems to maintain grid stability . The integration of intermittent or distributed energy resources , such as wind , photovoltaic , and biomass – as well as energy storage – into efficient , dependable power networks increases the complexity of the grid . The demand for transmission technologies is fueled by the coupling of different sectors , such as the use of renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen . energydigital . com 23