Huawei, the leading global provider of ICT infrastructure, recently hosted an innovative summit at the Enlit Africa Conference.
With a focus on expediting energy development in Africa and contributing to the global transition towards sustainability, security, and efficiency, Huawei unveiled valuable insights at this event.
Exploring the intersection of digitalisation and renewable energy
At the summit, industry experts and stakeholders gathered to delve into the convergence of digitalisation and renewable energy in South Africa. Speakers at the event shared their expertise, shedding light on the strategies and initiatives driving the just energy transition in the region.
Commitment to a sustainable future
A key highlight of the summit was Eskom Chief Information Officer Faith Burn emphasising the company's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and pursuing a just energy transition.
Defensive and offensive strategies were discussed, including infrastructure optimisation, cloud technology adoption, and innovative approaches such as microgrids. The urgency of taking timely action was stressed, highlighting the need to bridge the gap between discussions and implementation to address energy poverty and achieve sustainable progress.
South Africa's path to sustainable energy
The summit also showcased South Africa's significant strides towards a sustainable energy future through decarbonisation and digitalisation. Dr. Titus Mathe, CEO of SANEDI, emphasised its focus on energy research, efficiency, and demand-side management. The country aims to retire coal-fired power stations, embrace cleaner alternatives, and adhere to environmental regulations.
Efforts span multiple sectors, including grid modernisation, electric vehicle adoption, and skills development. Collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) explores future-oriented areas such as green hydrogen and energy storage, leveraging ICT, and digitalisation for optimised energy management.
Secure and reliable solutions for power communication networks
Huawei's representatives played a crucial role in the summit by discussing the company's vital contributions in enabling secure and reliable solutions for power communication networks.
Their presentation focused on ensuring the safety of the physical grid and safeguarding the security of the digital power grid. Huawei showcased its Nature Heart Pipe technology, which provides dedicated pipelines for each service to ensure complete service isolation and reduce latency.
The O1-16 platform, a multi-service optical transport networking (OTN) solution, simplifies operations, facilitates integration of legacy systems, and enables the deployment of new services. Additionally, Huawei's Fibre to the Machine (FTTM) solution offers flexible access and reliability for both transmission and distribution components.
Powering the future grid
NR Electric's Assistant Director highlighted the significance of SCADA and digital platforms in managing the future grid. The presentation emphasised the importance of digitisation, information integration, and resource utilisation. The adoption of digital solutions aims to optimise the grid, enhance reliability, and create new business opportunities. Big data analysis technology enables real-time monitoring and comprehensive insights for improved power grid control.
Digital transformation in power distribution
Wisdom Electric's Director of Middle East & Africa Markets, Edward Xiao, discussed the application of digital transformation in the power distribution sector. Wisdom Electric's comprehensive solutions address challenges faced by utilities, offering smart power distribution and consumption solutions. Its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution, including intelligent meters and a robust communication network, enables accurate billing, automation, and reduced line loss rates and power outages.
Leveraging internal resources and partnerships for innovation
Edwin Diender, Chief Innovation Officer, Global Energy Business Unit, Enterprise Business Group at Huawei, emphasised the importance of leveraging internal resources to create value and improve daily operations.
This was in line with the summit’s exploration of the concept of moving towards a "smarter grid" and exploring new business models in the utility sector. Collaboration with cable operators to offer broadband connectivity using existing infrastructure was also highlighted.
Governments worldwide are promoting digitisation, and organisations are creating digital teams to prioritise digital operations. Successful digital transformation initiatives from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Thailand were showcased, emphasising the significance of partnerships to unlock new opportunities and drive value creation.
The Huawei summit at the Enlit Africa Conference not only facilitated in-depth discussions but also marked the launch of its comprehensive white paper. Derived from the summit's valuable insights, the white paper offers valuable information on how digital solutions can enhance existing operations and add value to systems and services. As a proud platinum sponsor of the conference, Huawei's innovative exhibition stand attracted over 500 visitors, further solidifying their commitment to driving the energy transition and building a capable workforce.