As 2025 gathers pace and we witness major shifts in the global order, the world economy and long-established supply chains, we also see significant advances in industrial technologies and energy systems.
In this April issue of Electricity + Control we look at various dimensions of the continuing evolution of Industry 4,0 and IIoT: the pressures on industry to move forward with digital transformation, the rise and rise of data volumes, the value of AI in industry, and its impact on energy demand.
Satyajit Dwivedi of SAS Analytics highlights how AI can transform energy and water utilities to unlock new levels of efficiency and transition to a smarter connected future. Acknowledging the challenges of adopting AI, he emphasises the importance of a structured approach, coordinated across departments, to establish a unified platform.
It is clear that digital transformation is reshaping the manufacturing sector, pushing companies to adopt new technologies and new ways of operating. Neels van der Walt of Iritron. shares how, through its experience of supporting clients in implementing digital solutions, Iritron has seen that the introduction of Advanced Planning Systems is pivotal in progressing the transition.
With increasing volumes of data and continuing debates around storage, access, and security – whether in the cloud, or on premises, or hybrid cloud solutions, Andrew Cruise and Lee Syse of Routed outline some of the changes they see likely in cloud ecosystems through 2025, following from some major shifts in 2024.
And looking at preparing data centres for the demands of AI, Wojtek Piorko, MD for Africa at Vertiv, says this has become essential for local businesses. He shares Vertiv’s framework of ‘AI Imperatives’, which offers organisations a strategic roadmap to align their data centre infrastructure with the realities of AI’s requirements and growing demands on data centres.
In Energy management + energy efficiency, we note the IEA’s Electricity 2025 report in which it states that strong growth in electricity demand is raising the curtain on a new ‘Age of Electricity’, with consumption set to soar to 2027, led by the transport sector, and the rapid expansion of data centres.
We also see the enduring use of steam as a driver of energy in industrial applications and how this has evolved with new technological developments. Dennis Williams of Associated Energy Services (AES), offers some insights on the many varied applications in which steam is used and the importance of selecting and maintaining the right boiler for the job
We also report on a truly innovative low voltage stabilisation system, developed by A. Eberle Africa and A. Eberle Germany via a German-South African partnership, which has proven its capabilities and performance in a pilot project at the head office of Siemens Sub-Saharan Africa in Midrand. The success of this pilot project, already operational for over nine months, demonstrates the system’s capabilities and opens the way to its wider use in improving power stability and efficiency in critical infrastructure.
There is much more news in Products + services – reporting new technologies and systems that are shaping and supporting energy management in industry.
In Measurement + instrumentation, Minebea Intec, with its South African partner Precision Control, shares some of the products it showcased at Propak Africa this year, and we see other new developments from Beckhoff Automation, Instrotech for KELLER, GEMŬ, and Senseca.
In Safety of plant, equipment + people, Gary Bradshaw of Omniflex, highlights the value of remote monitoring in keeping a watch on critical measurement parameters to ensure safety on nuclear sites.
Among other new products and services developments, we see how advances in sensors and monitoring technologies are adding value to PDS systems, which support safety especially in mining.
In our regular column on Reskilling, upskilling + training, we share news from EWSETA regarding the online learning platform, PowerUp, a collaborative initiative to facilitate relevant skills training for the renewable energy sector, online.
Write at the back, Niveshen Govender of SAWEA and Wangari Muchiri of the GWEC share their view on the potential of wind energy in South Africa.
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