Showcasing the Future of Power at Expo 2017

Jul 19, 2017 Source: GE Russia/CIS Communications

This summer in Kazakhstan, millions of people are coming to Expo—also known as the world’s fair—to engage around the theme of “the future of energy.” Last week, GE was at center stage by hosting Transforming the Energy Ecosystem, a conference dedicated to emerging trends and new technologies in the power industry, which brought together over 100 senior government officials, business executives, and global thought leaders.

“One of the biggest challenges facing the world today is ensuring access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for each person on the planet,” said Ron Pollett, President & CEO, GE Russia/CIS, during a 1-on-1 fireside chat with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy. “GE is an innovation company. We believe the path forward is with new ideas, new discoveries, and new technologies.”

The action-packed agenda encouraged open and interactive dialogue, including with a panel discussion on new advances in combustion science, air filtration, and digital solutions that are delivering smarter, cleaner steam power.

A common theme heard throughout the day was the increasingly important role of renewables in diversifying the global energy mix. “The Power market is changing, with a very fast growth of renewables,” said Thibault Desclee, Chief Marketing Officer, GE Renewable Energy. “Renewables are mainstream—they’re no longer a luxury. They’re driving the transformation of the energy ecosystem.”

As the ninth largest country in the world with a smooth topography, Kazakhstan is estimated to have up to 350GW in potential wind resources and the government has set an aggressive target to reach 50% of power from renewable sources by mid-century. GE is helping make it happen, including by signing an agreement to cooperate on wind projects in the country. And throughout Central Asia more broadly, GE is working closely with governments and partners on projects to better harness the region's vast hydro resources.

Another key focus area was the digital revolution that is now radically reshaping the industrial world. Globally, GE expects the digitization of electricity to unlock more than $1 trillion in value over the next decade by boosting generation efficiency, optimizing transmission and distribution, and better integrating new assets onto the grid.

“The energy landscape is changing and we have to change our model as well—from managing a few central power plants to managing millions of turbines and photovoltaics. That’s a much more complex problem to solve,” said Maher Chebbo, Chief Commercial Officer, GE Power. “It can only happen if we put in place a dream team combining industrial experts, engineering experts, and digital experts.”

“At the end of the day, our job is to bring power to people,” said Stephane Cai, VP, Energy Connections. “Our industry is entering the digital industrial age at an accelerated pace. It’s complex, and it’s exciting. It’s a land of opportunities. We have to embrace those changes and support our customers to succeed and grow their business.”

In Kazakhstan, GE is moving forward on a digital project at the 500MW Almaty TETs-2 power plant. The goal is to reduce harmful emissions by 10% and increase thermal efficiency and availability by 2%—equivalent to 20,000 fewer tons of coal burned per year.

Expo 2017 in Astana runs through September 10. With over 1.5 million tickets sold to date, more than 150,000 visitors have already visited GE’s booth at the USA Pavilion, which showcases the cutting-edge technologies that are today transforming the energy ecosystem.