Editorial
Dear Reader,
Participate in our Global Reader Survey
and win one of five copies of Age of Electricity.
The various energy transitions taking place worldwide, above all in Germany, have triggered
a transformation that will have an impact well beyond 2050. Energy systems will have to deal
with an ever broader energy mix and operate as flexibly and efficiently as possible. Renewable
energies will be industrialized and prevail in competition with conventional types of power
generation. At the same time, however, coal will still play a major role, and game changers
will be setting new directions. One of these changers will be hydrogen. Produced with electric­
ity from renewable sources, hydrogen can be stored in great quantities and can be used when
needed to generate electricity, in transportation, or in multiple industrial applications.
Our current projects are also quite notable. In this issue, we present three examples from
around the world to illustrate innovative solutions that meet specific challenges.
www.comtest.ch/survey/livingenergy
Use the QR code or access the URL above – the
­questionnaire will take only a few minutes of your time.
Living Energy’s
Global Reader
Survey 2014
In Thailand’s tropical monsoon climate, for example, electricity is a decisive competitive
factor for cooling – for the country’s seafood sector in particular as well as for its booming
economy in general. For distributed power generation, Siemens has provided 20 SGT-800
industrial gas turbines to small private power producers, which are the drivers of Thailand’s
industrialization process.
The La Caridad Power Plant in Mexico, which comprises two combined cycle units, delivers
electricity to copper mines in the remote Sonora region reliably and with high efficiency.
A milestone in the southern hemisphere is the HVDC Pole 3 project, one of the biggest infra­
structure projects in the history of New Zealand. The high-voltage direct current (HVDC)
transmission link that connects the North and the South Island since the 1960s has been for­
tified by a new pole and an upgrade to the existing control system. The new equipment has
been designed to meet the highest earthquake safety standards.
In the interests of stimulating debate on the
­resolution of energy issues, Living Energy kindly
asks you to participate in its reader poll.
Secure, economical, and sustainable sources of power that also enjoy societal acceptance in
terms of technology, will remain one of the most exciting challenges beyond the middle of the
century. To meet these challenges, we will continue working with our customers to drive highly
innovative projects, explore measures for an economical energy system with politicians, and
strengthen our societal dialog to win greater public acceptance of sustainable energy systems.
Photo: Siemens
Enjoy the tenth issue of Living Energy!
Best regards,
Michael Suess, Member of the Managing Board
of Siemens AG and CEO of the Energy Sector
Living Energy · No. 10 | May 2014 5