Tell us about Siemens Energy.
At Siemens Energy, our 91,000 employees share a mission to empower our customers to meet the growing demand for energy, while transitioning to a more sustainable world. Our headquarters is in Munich, Germany, and we have colleagues in over 90 countries. Our portfolio of products, solutions, and services covers almost the entire energy value chain – from power generation to distribution and transmission, storage, and servicing.
This includes conventional and renewable energy technology, from gas and steam turbines, hybrid power plants utilising hydrogen, as well as power generators and transformers, to wind turbines, through our majority stake in Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
With COP27 taking place next month, there is a growing momentum to push for more sustainability. What role can the energy industry play in helping meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals?
The energy sector must make changes to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement goals. Many of the technologies we need to do this are available today. At the same time, it is important to recognise that the world is in an energy trilemma. We must consider energy security, affordability, and sustainability at all levels of society.
Around 850 million people in the world still lack access to electricity, and energy demand is projected to grow further – in particular in developing countries. We have to ensure that when it comes to the energy transition, no country is left behind.
That sounds like no easy task. Can you tell us about some of your key initiatives that are helping to drive the energy transition forward?
We will need different solutions in different parts of the world. We believe that meaningful partnerships are crucial to tackling climate change and bringing down emissions. Our Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation, which we recently co-founded together with IRENA and 14 companies across different industry sectors, aims to accelerate net-zero ambitions and help drive the decarbonisation of industrial value chains. The first Alliance meeting will take place at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh.
Another example of joining forces to advance clean energy technology is our newly established partnership with Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem.
Under this agreement, we will support tech startups with developing technologies that directly address climate change – right here in Abu Dhabi. This partnership comes at a time when the UAE is set to host COP28 in 2023 and is reinforcing its commitment towards achieving net-zero by 2050.
Meanwhile, in Senegal, where many people lack access to clean, reliable, and affordable electricity, a group of Siemens Energy employees launched an initiative to make a change for Ndiob, a small village of 3,000 people. With backing from Siemens Energy Ventures, the entrepreneurial heart of Siemens Energy and working with partners GreenTec, they founded connect2evolve, bringing sustainable solar energy to the community.
