Australia’s electricity market is the longest geographically connected power system in the world. It generates around 200 terawatt-hours of electricity annual – about 80 percent of Australia’s electricity consumption.
With a focus on energy affordability, reliability, security and sustainability, new technologies and renewables will significantly shift the dial on how Australia provides energy supplies in the future.
At the upcoming ABB Customer World 2018 – Australia (ACW) event at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on 15 March, ABB will present its latest industry-leading digital solutions, ABB Ability™ to support this energy transformation. This free, premier event brings together national and global speakers to explore how innovative solutions, new technologies and digitalisation can drive operational excellence.
The increasing integration of intermittent renewables and distributed energy sources on the supply side and new demand loads like data centres and the introduction of electric vehicles into the future, bring new challenges. The national energy grid needs to adapt and become more flexible and intelligent to handle these complexities while maintaining stability and ensuring affordable, reliable and quality power of supply for industrial and residential consumers.
ABB’s Customer World event will showcase our range of ABB Ability solutions from future grids, intelligent manufacturing and software-defined machines to smart sensors, cloud services and smart buildings.
A keynote panel session with The Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio MP, Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Victorian Minister for Suburban Development, Chloe Munro AO, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Expert Panel, Alistair Parker, Executive General Manager – Regulated Energy Services, AusNet Services and Tennant Reed, Principal National Adviser, Public Policy, Australian Industry Group will provide a lively debate about how to achieve 50 percent renewable energy without compromising grid stability.
A key focus at ACW will be on our range of digital technologies for a smarter transmission and distribution grid, which lies at the heart of the power sector transformation and the energy revolution. The event will address how the energy sector can overcome the challenges of aging infrastructure, harness distributed energy resources, comply with new regulations and capitalise on the convergence of Information Technology and Operations Technology. These are just a few of the issues that are dramatically changing the energy landscape today.
Digital grid of the future
The introduction of the new digital technology is manifested in more powerful real-time control systems, controlling digital substations, digital distribution transformers, smart sensors in the field and the like. These all serve the purpose of allowing for maximum flexibility through IT/OT integration, so that we can predict through smart analytics, potential failures on assets, therefore avoiding power outages and ensure continuity of supply.
Microgrids – reliable power wherever and whenever it is needed
Attend ACW to hear firsthand how ABB’s game-changing microgrid technology enables the seamless integration of multiple and different distributed generators into a distribution system. Ensuring power reliability and an increase in the uptake of cost-effective renewable energy to help decouple carbon emissions and economic growth.
First pioneered in Australia, this innovation is now well-proven across solar, wind, wave, main grid or diesel generation supply, as well as battery energy storage. It is enabling more than 40 off-grid or grid connected microgrids in operation today with 15 of these in Australia.
Delivering more power across longer distances with lower losses
ABB HVDC now has the capability to transmit more power across greater distances, with lower losses. That makes HVDC a key technology in overcoming the complexities of integrating remote renewable generation, like wind and hydropower, with conventional thermal generation and bringing this sustainable power to the population centers where it is needed most.
For Australia, HVDC technology can help in better matching supply and demand across the national energy network and utilise the diverse mix of energy generated across the different state borders to reduce costs and improve electricity reliability. With ABB’s help, the power system is evolving into an intelligent, resilient, agile and powerful fully interconnected system of substations, generation stations, meters, distribution automation devices, renewable energy resources and storage systems. These will all drive the digital grid of the future.
Registration for ABB Customer World – Australia 2018 is completely free of charge for ABB customers and industry professionals.
