Global Technology Excellence In Energy & Automation Arena, Fuji Electric
Q. What’s the power scenario in India, in your view? Has the country been able to bridge the gap between demand and supply?
India’s power industry has a bright future, and the country’s continued economic growth is driving up power demand. India, with an installed power capacity of 408.71 GW as of October 31, 2022, is the third-largest producer and user of electricity globally. According to a projected plan of the Government, India anticipates its annual power demand to increase at an average rate of 7.2% over the five years ending in March 2027, more than double the growth rate of more than 4% seen during the five years before March 2022. According to the plan, India would increase its power generation capacity by 165.3 gigawatts (GW) over five years ending in March 2027, with most of this capacity coming from renewable energy sources. India’s power consumption growth has slowed recently due to an economic slowdown and the implementation of state-wide lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
India produces and consumes far fewer greenhouse gases per person than the majority of Western nations, despite being the world’s third-highest producer of greenhouse gases. India and China are responsible for the lion’s share of new renewable energy added globally.
The Government of India’s Ministry of Power says that adopting energy-efficient methods could save about 23% of the energy that is used. This would reduce the demand-supply gap and make the power situation in the country better. But it might take a while because using it requires a lot of investment, awareness, and acceptance. India also buys coal and oil from other places to meet its growing energy needs. Every bit of energy saved or used less helps improve energy security and sustainability. The initiative for Demand Side Management will help conserve resources for the next generation. There is a lot of work to be done in this area, but it is possible for India to save a lot of energy in the near future if the right rules and regulations are in place and people are willing to use energy-saving solutions as a way to build the country.
And I strongly feel this would help close the demand-supply gap to some degree.
Q. Why is there a dire need to conserve energy in the country?
India is the world’s third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China and the US. It releases about 3 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2eq of greenhouse gases each year, which is about 2.5 tonnes per person. This is less than the average for the world, but it still makes up about 7% of the world’s annual emissions, even though it has only 17% of the world’s population. This shows that a large number of people in the country still need access to basic commercial energy. This is a unique problem.
In India, the Energy sector is the most significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, making up 68–70% of annual emissions after this comes agriculture, industrial processes, land use changes, and forestry.
Clean energy sources, like renewables that don’t release greenhouse gases and are also energy efficient are clearly a must. The government wants to make changes to the Energy Conservation Act. These changes will not only make the much-needed improvements to the environment, but they will also set up rules for carbon trading in India, which will encourage more people to use renewable energy.
Q. Power quality is a major issue the industry is facing. What are the ill effects of poor power quality, and how can we address this menace?
In an ideal world, power distribution systems should give their customers a steady flow of clean, sinusoidal voltage at the contracted voltage level (132kV, 66kV, 33kV, 11kV, 415V) and frequency (50Hz in India). In reality, however, power systems face a number of problems that affect the quality of power. These problems can come from generation, transmission, and distribution (T&D) or a customer facility. These power quality problems can make it hard for customer loads to work without interruption. Still, safety problems can shorten the life of the loads and electrical equipment that are connected to them. A customer with a lot of nonlinear loads can also affect the quality of the power supply. The purity of the voltage waveform is lost, which can affect other loads inside or outside the customer’s facility. Power quality (PQ) problems can also be caused by system events that are both normal (like switching a capacitor or starting a motor) and not so typical (like faults).
Power quality KPIs must be tracked and analyzed to make strategic decisions about the best way to fix or lessen possible power quality problems.
Our Power management solutions, Active harmonic filter,Energy storage systems, Static transfer switches, Power conditioning solutions, Power backup solutions, Single Phase input & Single Phase output online double conversion UPS, online double conversion UPS, and Servo Control Voltage Stabilizers are all made to maximize energy efficiency and lead to a responsible and sustainable society.
Q. What are the power conditioning products and solutions you offer?
At Fuji Electric, we manufacture a wide range of protective energy products designed to be configured based on the ground conditions, the applications for which they will be used, and the protection sensitivity of the equipment.
From simple line-interactive UPS for single pieces of equipment to complex modular UPS solutions for data centers, there are many things to evaluate to ensure installations work as well as possible in a given environment. Our Range of Falcon Online UPS from 1 to 9600kVA, Servo Controlled Voltage Stabilizer 3 to 3500 kVA, Active harmonic filters upto 1000Amps and static VAR generators are designed for Indian conditions.
Fuji Electric looks at everything, from power quality to Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) to the Total Cost of Ownership, keeping in mind both direct and indirect costs (Capex and Opex), to find the best solutions for customers.
Fuji Electric is the only company that can figure out the best configuration to meet client needs because it has done thousands of complex installations worldwide for decades.
Q. What are your offerings from the Automation Division?
Fuji Electric offers industry-advanced automation solutions.
Our versatile product portfolio has everything the industry needs to automate machines and factories. Fuji Electric Offers Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), and servo motors and amplifiers as part of a complete motion control system. This system can provide precision and accuracy for a variety of machine uses. We also have a full line of programmable controllers that can be combined with the best servo systems, drives, and Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) in the business.
Fuji Electric is the top Japanese company providing process automation solutions for industries like Steel, Cement, Power, Boiler, Water, and Waste to Energy (WtE). We automate process plants by using our deep knowledge of the field to make sure they run smoothly with little maintenance. We do this by providing both high-speed control and monitoring and using the best control technologies to ensure the plants run efficiently and use less energy.
We also have one of the largest selections of backup power solutions for the India market. Using the power of local research and development (R&D) and advanced 3-Level IGBT Fuji Electric technology, we make UPS products that range from 1kVA to 9600kVA.
Fuji Electric is the only company that can develop and supply engineered UPS solutions in India for Oil & Gas, Cement, Steel, Thermal, Solar, and Nuclear Power Plants, as well as Infrastructure projects for Metros, Airports, Smart City projects, and Ports. We also offer fully engineered UPS solutions that include Distribution Panels, Servo Stabilizers, Input, Output, and Bypass Transformers, as needed for critical applications.
Q. What are the innovations you spearhead in the electrical distribution arena?
We are committed to using synergies between its core power semiconductor and power electronics technologies to the fullest extent possible. We make a wide range of products that meet essential needs by combining high-quality equipment with key devices, engineering services, optimal control technologies, and IoT technologies that have been developed through frontline operations. Fuji Electric has a wide range of electrical distribution devices to protect your building from overloads, short circuits, and ground or arc faults, as well as meters to track how much electricity you use. Our wide range of products includes Moulded Case Circuit Breakers, Magnetic Contactors, And Starters, Miniature Circuit Breakers, Power Monitoring Units, Air Circuit Breakers, Manual Motor Starters Starters and Contactors, Thermal Overload Relays, Pushbuttons, Selectors, Pilot Lights Command Switches, Time Delay Relays, and Industrial Control Relays. Our range of products has many advantages, such as a Fully integrated range of high-quality products and solutions that are easy to install, Modern materials and products to make sure quality and safety are at a high level, and our products meet international rules and standards.
Q. What are your project engineering capabilities and deliverables?
We have a big and competent team of highly experienced engineers to manage the projects from Presales, Engineering to installation at site. Team can handle huge projects in the field of Buildings and infra projects like Data center, Metros, Railways, big IT projects, Oil and gas, steel, cement, hospitals etc.
Q. What do you consider as your greatest contribution to the power sector?
Energy efficiency is a must, not an option. It is an easy and effective way to fight climate change. It’s the low-hanging fruit we need to get to a future where all energy is clean. Fuji Electric has been in the country for a long time and is well aware of its carbon emission goals. India has set 2070 as the year it wants to reach its goal of zero emissions, but it also has many short-term goals, the most recent of which is to cut carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030. Fuji Electric is a world leader in power electronics, and its main goal has always been to reduce CO2 emissions. Fuji Electric is always looking for ways to improve its electric and thermal energy technology. As a result, it has made products that use energy as efficiently as possible and help create a more responsible and sustainable society. Fuji Electric has been contributing to creating a sustainable society by combining high-quality equipment with key devices with engineering services, optimal control technologies, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that have been developed through frontline operations.