Siemens has opened a Digital Grid Center in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to advance the digitalization of energy systems in the Middle East, supporting smarter cities and industry. The center enables Siemens to collaborate with customers in developing, demonstrating and testing digital energy solutions, and provides remote support for the utilities, oil & gas, industrial and infrastructure sectors.

Using lab simulations and live data connections, the Digital Grid Center enables Siemens to remotely provide service and support for customer operations, including preventative and corrective maintenance, simulation and testing. For example, customers will be able to witness Factory Acceptance Tests conducted abroad without needing to travel, using a live remote monitoring system to ensure equipment is ready to be installed on-site.

“Our energy systems are evolving as decentralization and a diversifying energy mix impose greater complexity on our electricity grids,” said Franco Atassi, Head of Smart Infrastructure for Siemens in the Middle East. “Managing and protecting these intricate energy systems requires intelligent application of digital technologies, and our Digital Grid Center directly addresses this challenge. We will use the center to support our customers in their digital transformation, working together to develop and implement technology for smarter cities and industries in the Middle East.”

With a dedicated team of engineers, the center focuses on six pillars of digitalization: Remote Collaboration, Cloud & Data (IoT), Cyber Security, Digital Substation, Digital Twin and Energy Efficiency Analytics.

The center demonstrates the potential of connecting energy systems to the Internet of Things (IoT), capturing data for consolidation, visualization and analysis in a cloud-based operating system such as Siemens’ MindSphere. MindSphere enables the connection of products, plants, systems and machines to the Internet of Things, deriving real-world value from data using advanced analytics. The Digital Grid Center will show how these technologies can turn big data into smart data, unlocking greater potential from energy networks to improve reliability, efficiency and grid safety.

Customers will also be able to experience how digital twin technology can replicate physical grid infrastructure in the virtual world, simulating the performance of energy networks before they’re constructed. Insights from these digital twins can then be used to support the planning and design of grids for long-term reliability, performance and cost efficiency.

Cyber security is a core element of the Digital Grid Center. Operational Technology (OT) is a rapidly growing target for cyber-attacks and the protection of critical infrastructure requires a holistic, always-active approach to security. Siemens offers comprehensive cyber security services for industry, utilities and power grid operators, and the Digital Grid Center allows customers to embrace the digital transformation while keeping data and equipment secure.

The Digital Grid Center joins the company’s MindSphere Application Centers in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as part of an ongoing regional investment into digitalization. The MindSphere Application Centers enable Siemens to work closely with customers using digital technologies – including Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and the Internet of Things – to solve specific challenges. Siemens has also made a series of software grants to regional universities in order to support the education, training and skill development of students preparing for careers in a digital economy.

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