Transformative technology and practices, which are evolving in the power sector, are to come under detailed scrutiny in Dubai in early 2019 with the staging of the two-day ?Revolutionizing Power Generation Conference?, a part of Middle East Electricity (MEE) that will be running from 5-7 March at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC)
A key feature of MEE 2019, the conference is the highlight of the show?s expansive knowledge programme, which features 94 hours of free CDP-accredited conferences and seminars including case-study-led sessions.
Speakers from 10 nations are lined up for the conference, which puts operations and maintenance of large-scale utilities, as well as independent power producers, into sharp focus. Some of the biggest names and emerging players in the business will address the challenges, pinpoint growth opportunities and identify technologies and tactics needed to survive in a rapidly changing industry.
With various experts preparing to drill down into how the industry can improve profitability through advanced technology migration and new methodology implementation, one speaker has already sounded an optimistic note of a ?cautious? generator upturn for the region.
Romain Mocaer, director of the forecaster PowerGen Statistics, believes the unique Middle Eastern generator sector ? which represents 10 per cent of the global market ? has huge growth opportunity and expects an uptick in the short term. Mocaer pinpoints the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq as growth drivers with expansion filtering through oil and gas, construction and infrastructure projects.
?The generator market has recovered in Europe and North America, but there has been a slowdown in some emerging markets, including the Middle East, which has significantly decreased in the last few years. However, the diesel generator market can look forward to a cautious recovery in 2019, as the modest rise of oil prices and the positive construction market outlook should drive growth in the generator market, especially in Saudi Arabia. The region will also host many major global events, such as Expo 2020 Dubai, in coming years to further drive growth,? said Mocaer.
Issues to be explored at the conference include digital retrofits; refining power plant performance with air-cooled condensers and cloud-based analytics; reliability-centred maintenance, and investments that can alter the levelised cost of electricity for power generation. Experts are aligned on one aim - to explore how the industry can improve profitability through advanced technology migration and new methodology implementation.
Conference speaker Engr. Mahmoud Zeineddine, co-founder and manager of the Organisation for Safety & Sustainability (OSAS), maintains technology will not only impact bottom-line but will improve regional safety records as smart-sensor mobile tracking becomes the norm.
?Throughout the session, we will be discussing measures to be taken to prevent human losses and injuries in workplaces. The key trend we are witnessing in the sector is the use of social interactions - mobile applications - to monitor and audit the safety work in the industrial zones,? adds Zeineddine.
The conference will also feature case studies from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Ghana, as well as the unveiling of new research on preventative maintenance for international combustion engines using AI and big data.
?We are aiming for the conference to really shine the light on breakthroughs which will change not only the burgeoning generator market but the face of the industry. All of the sessions in the power generation content stream are free-to-attend and CPD accredited,? states Claudia Konieczna, exhibition director ? Informa Industrial Group.
The conference is being held against a backdrop of a bullish forecast by the Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (APICORP). The multilateral development bank has predicted the MENA region?s power capacity will expand by an average of 6.4 per cent per year by 2022, corresponding to an additional capacity of 117 GW and requiring US$152bn of investment in generation capacity.
MEE will also host the global launch of breakthrough automated transmission and distribution (T&D) technology.
ETAP, the US-headquartered power technology giant, says it will use the annual showcase to introduce the world to unique, multiple enterprise T&D solutions which, it claims, can massively shave costs of commercial overheads.
According to Shaikh Sahid Hossain, V-P, ETAP, the breakthrough automated solutions, which require minimal supervision, can operate, monitor, analyse and optimise power in real-time and save huge costs for businesses.
ETAP?s major Middle East push comes as it predicts a buoyant future for T&D in the GCC, where smart grids are being pursued to control power loss, increase efficiency and reduce emissions.
Recent research from APICORP says the GCC is expected to require US$34bn for T&D over the next five years. ETAP says next-generation solutions, such as its modelling-to-optimisation on a single-platform technology, will be needed by the region to realise its projected smart grid market growth to US$1.68bn by 2026.
?The region?s renewed power focus has opened up huge opportunities and the GCC market is poised for huge growth with renewable energy taking precedence,? added Hossain.
?Looking at the growth in demand and the shortfall of supply, the initiatives taken by governments are rapidly increasing with innovations happening and more IPPs coming into the picture.?
Other dedicated MEE sectors cover power generation; lighting and energy storage and management. The show will also offer a diverse range of professional education and training opportunities where attendees can learn about the latest technologies at exhibitor-led technical seminars and advance professionally with CPD accredited Workshops.
More than 1,600 leading manufacturers and suppliers are committed to 41st edition Middle East Electricity 2019, which is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler, and is hosted by the UAE Ministry of Energy.
