Innovation key to galvanise power sector growth: experts

KARACHI: Joseph Anis, president and CEO of GE’s power services business for Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has said despite the evolving economic environment, there was an intense appetite for innovation and the desire to learn and lead by example across the region and Pakistan. 

“Power sector operators today require partners who can look at the entire electricity value network – from power generation, to transmission and distribution, to consumption – as well as across a range of solutions, to help them unlock the greatest benefits,” Anis said speaking at a conference titled “Transforming Power” organised by the GE in Dubai on Monday.  Anis said the GE was honoured and excited to work with its customers and other stakeholders throughout this value chain to drive the digital industrial transformation of the power sector in the region. 

Sharing his insights on Pakistan’s power sector, Khalid Mansoor, chief executive officer of Hub Power Company (HUBCO), said the combination of software, advanced data analytics and heavy industrial equipment was arguably the largest opportunity in front of the power generation sector today.  “Pakistan has been one of the first countries in the world to deploy GE’s advanced digital industrial solutions for the power sector. We have adopted these solutions at two of HUBCO’s power plants also and already started seeing benefits in terms of reduced unplanned downtime, lower maintenance, costs and fewer emissions,” Mansoor said. 

The conference brought together more than 200 global and regional energy sector experts in Dubai on Monday, October 16, 2017, to share experiences of industry-leading projects from around the world, identify the next generation of solutions to boost power sector efficiency and discuss new business models for the industry. 

The exclusive event was held in collaboration with MEED, an international media brand and publication, and highlighted trends and innovations in the energy ecosystem that can help unlock further productivity, diversification and operational efficiency in the industry across Pakistan and the MENA.