Month: December 2021

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Philips and IJsselland Hospital sign long-term technology partnership

December 23, 2021
  • 12-year agreement focuses on innovation, digitalization and optimization across patient monitoring and radiology solutions
  • Philips will facilitate remote care and telehealth programs

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced it has signed a 12-year strategic partnership with IJsselland Hospital (Capelle aan den Ijssel, The Netherlands). As the hospital’s strategic technology partner, Philips will target improved care for patients and care providers at IJsselland Hospital and in the surrounding region. The collaboration will focus on innovation, digitalization and optimization, and includes the purchase of patient monitoring and radiology solutions including CT and MRI systems.

Home monitoring collaboration expanded
In addition to the new strategic partnership, Philips and IJsselland Hospital plan to expand their existing home monitoring partnership for patients with heart failure and COPD. Philips will provide clinical and patient decision support software which enables implementation of remote health and care programs and facilitates collaboration between different healthcare providers.

“Technological developments in healthcare are currently moving very fast,” said Albert van Wijk, Chairman of IJsselland Hospital’s Board of Directors. “As a regional hospital, we want to keep up with these developments to provide the best care for our patients. We have chosen Philips as a technology partner to jointly develop the hospital of the future. This will be good for our patients and our healthcare professionals. Moreover, Philips’ vision fits well with our strategy.”

“Over the past year, we have worked with IJsselland Hospital to convert their strategy and challenges into a partnership,” said Léon Kempeneers, Health Systems, Philips Benelux. “I am very proud of this partnership, in which we don’t focus solely on technology but look more broadly at the challenges the hospital faces. A great deal of attention is paid to innovation, which is why we are starting a joint fund for innovation and optimization. We also want to work explicitly on optimizing care processes, so that the hospital can work smarter and save costs.”

For further information, please contact:

Mark Groves
Philips Group Press Office
Tel: +31 631 639 916
Email: mark.groves@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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Philips provides update on the test and research program in connection with the CPAP, BiPAP and Mechanical Ventilator recall notification*

December 23, 2021

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – On June 14, 2021, Royal Philips’ (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) subsidiary, Philips Respironics, initiated a voluntary recall notification* for certain sleep and respiratory care products to address potential health risks related to the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam in these devices. Since then, together with certified testing laboratories and other qualified third-party experts, Philips Respironics has been conducting a comprehensive test and research program on the PE-PUR foam to better assess and scope potential patient health risks related to possible emission of particulates from degraded foam and certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Philips Respironics is now providing an update on part of this test and research program. Specifically, this update covers the test results and assessment to date of the VOC emissions of the first-generation DreamStation devices. The first-generation DreamStation devices represent the majority of the registered affected devices. Additional testing is ongoing.**

Review of this assessment by an outside medical panel and Philips Respironics has determined that exposure to the level of VOCs identified to date for the first-generation DreamStation devices is not typically anticipated to result in long-term health consequences for patients.

The update on these findings is intended to inform healthcare providers of the most recent data, but the overall guidance for physicians and patients in the recall notification remains unchanged at this time.

At the time the recall notification was issued, Philips Respironics relied on an initial, limited data set and toxicological risk assessment. Since then, using ISO 18562 guidance, VOC toxicological risk assessments were performed by certified testing laboratories and a qualified third-party expert based on the initial and new VOC testing performed to date. Philips Respironics has made this data available to the FDA and other competent authorities and is in the process of sharing this data with healthcare providers and patients.

It is important to note that the tested DreamStation devices were not exposed to ozone cleaning, in accordance with the instructions for use. Additionally, this new assessment is limited to the evaluation of VOCs for first-generation DreamStation devices, and does not evaluate the risks of potential foam particulates or cover other devices affected by the recall. Further health risk assessments are ongoing.**

Comprehensive particulate testing and analyses are now expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022, as testing protocols in compliance with the full extent of the relevant ISO standards for all affected product platforms require long lead times of multiple months. Philips Respironics will continue to provide updates on findings from these assessments.

Additional information
For more information on the recall notification,* as well as instructions for customers, patients and physicians, affected parties may contact their local Philips representative or visit www.philips.com/SRC-update. The content of this press release is intended to inform healthcare providers of the most recent data, but the overall guidance for physicians and patients in the recall notification remains unchanged at this time.

*   Voluntary recall notification in the U.S. / field safety notice outside the U.S.
** The ongoing test and the research program includes: Assessment of the health risks associated with VOC emission of the CPAP, BiPAP and Mechanical Ventilator devices affected by the recall notification; assessment of the health risks associated with possible degraded foam particulates for all affected devices; assessment of the health risks associated with exposure of the devices to repeated ozone cleaning.

For further media information, please contact:

Steve Klink
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.: +31 6 10888824
E-mail: steve.klink@philips.com

Derya Guzel
Philips Investor Relations
Tel.: +31 20 59 77055
E-mail: derya.guzel@philips.com

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Forward-looking statements
This statement contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about the strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA, future developments in Philips’ organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

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Neology Receives $50 Million of Capital Injection to Accelerate Smart Mobility Solutions

Investment from AINDA Expands Innovation and Scale to Modernize Mobility, Support Sustainable Growth and Help Communities Thrive

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Neology, a global innovator that is re-imagining mobility for smart cities and safer communities, today announced a successful investment of $38 million (thirty-eight million dollars) from AINDA, a private equity firm focused on infrastructure, in addition to $12 million (twelve million dollars) of cash coming from Neology’s subsidiary for a total of $50 million (fifty million dollars) in cash.

The infusion of capital will support Neology’s expansion, accelerate the company’s growth, and allow it to pursue inorganic growth opportunities.

Following the transaction, Neology will collaborate with AINDA on strategic value creation initiatives designed to accelerate the business’s existing growth trajectory in Mexico and South America.

“Neology’s expertise in electronic toll collection, enforcement, and smart mobility solutions together with AINDA’s direct experience in transportation projects and investments in highway Infrastructure in Mexico will drive double-digit growth going forward,” said Francisco Martinez de Velasco, CEO of Neology.

“AINDA is delighted to partner with Neology in Latin America to offer solutions that provide: 1) a better journey to toll road users through well-designed, consumer-centric technologies that supply contactless toll road fee payments systems, robust account management, and real-time notifications; 2) a new responsible way for people to use transportation in large metropolitan areas with smart mobility technologies that optimize convenience, revenue generation, and the journey experience; 3) an efficient enforcement platform based on artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning that will help advance clean air zones, reduce congestion, improve security, and other law enforcement initiatives,” said Manuel Rodriguez Arregui, CEO of AINDA.

About Neology
‍Neology is re-imagining mobility to help our customers accelerate their vision for smart cities and safer communities. Our Mobility Platform™ is setting the industry standard through a unique combination of AI-powered adaptive solutions, a proven integration process, and unparalleled lifecycle support. Backed by a culture of innovation, our mobility experts work closely with global customers and a top-tier partner ecosystem to connect existing infrastructure assets with next-generation technology to modernize the way people move. To create safer, cleaner, more efficient mobility experiences, visit www.neology.net. 

About AINDA
AINDA Energía & Infraestructura is a private equity fund (CKD) whose main objective is to carry out investments in energy and infrastructure projects in Mexico. AINDA has a unique approach supported by its team that brings together the experience and knowledge to seek the success of investment and private capital management, in addition to having a corporate governance made up of world-class independent directors.

Neology Media Contact:
Kelly Foster
kelly@johnkellyfoster.com
+1 619-846-8229

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Loong Phol and double-edged social media

Only two possibilities exist when Loong Phol is concerned: Either he is innocent or he is guilty, and both scenarios are scary.

That’s what renowned sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clake, who coined the famous “two possibilities” intro, might have said if he was to address the pros and cons of social media, which have flexed strong muscles in Thailand over the past few years, politically and socially.

If Loong Phol is innocent, his current treatment by social media is beyond wicked, but so was his previous treatment by the social media if he is guilty. He is definitely “the case study” of how social media can take someone up so high just to hack him or her down in pieces, all at the very wrong time.

Here’s a quick recap of the Loong Phol case: Chaiphol Wipa, better known as “Loong (Uncle)Phol”, has been charged in connection with the death of a three-year-old girl, “Nong Chompoo”, in Mukdahan in 2020. She went missing before her body was found in a mountainous jungle, near her home but too far for a toddler to walk to alone. The story of unlawful abandonment of a small child who died, as a result, is threatening to grow into a full-blown murder conspiracy and he and his wife have been charged with tampering with evidence to mislead the investigation.

Cue the social media and what looked like a simple case became anything but. Everything that could go wrong has gone seriously wrong, from Day One until today. After Chaiphol became an “unofficial” suspect and before he was formally charged, he became a singer, and he and his wife became fashion models, YouTube celebrities, successful online vendors who saw everything they sold flying off their home faster than hot cake from bakery, donation solicitors who drew jaw-dropping amounts, and builders of amazing “religious” structures. A new car arrived and the house was richly renovated. Their menus went from basic I-saan food to luxurious meals sometimes.

The amount of Twitter messages attacking the father and mother of the child is beyond imagination. Songs were written for Chaiphol and he sang some himself. They were put on YouTube, of course, raking up millions of views. When a man commented online that it was weird to see Loong Phol dancing in music videos and posing for fashion shoots _ all because a girl he said he loved so much had died _ Loong Phol’s fan club hounded him away. Clipssympathetic toward Chaiphol abounded and drew numerous “likes”, and comments lambasting the parents beggared belief. A movie and stage drama was planned and aimed at presenting Chaiphol as a victim of police injustice.

One lawyer-cum-activist was asked why it took the police so long to charge Chaiphol. “In the beginning, the case was not complicated at all,” he replied. “But after a while, circumstantial evidence that normally would have played a big role became a liability which could enhance the unofficial suspect’s fame and create a major backlash against the police. Now the investigators needed foolproof evidence before taking any action.”

Police requiring strong evidence before making a move on suspects is good. But the question, emerging from the Nong Chompoo case, is how strong the evidence should be and where social media should draw the line to prevent disruptions of justice.

After Chaiphol was charged and his lawyers and allies cut their ties with him, the social media he knew has become the exact opposite, and very actively so. Clips that practically say what only judges should be able to say against him are now abundant. Twitter comments are slamming the man whose trial has not even begun yet. The mainstream media are picking up what the social media have said, amplifying his pre-trial trouble. Lawyers, certainly having read and seen the online trends, are having reservations about becoming his defense.

Another part of the frenzy is a famous lawyer who somehow managed to make a confusing and ironic statement viral. He suggested he would have represented Chaiphol if asked nicely, but, in the same breath, he said he would help good men only. The snub was videotaped and uploaded. All the critics, enemies of Chaiphol, and ambitious online “commentators” are having a judgmental say online on a daily basis.

Since Nong Chompoo disappeared and were found dead, news hosts in the conventional media picked up social media trends and played along with the moods of the hours. When the pro-Loong Phol hype was at its peak, they helped to add to his superstar status and turned against the dead girl’s parents. Now, “media heroes” are those news presenters “brave” enough to stand against his shrinking fan club.

There is no doubt that social media influences the court of public opinions in a big way. Loong Phol is an Exhibit A. The questions of who manipulates whom and whether it is mutual manipulation are part of the social media evolution, a process fraught with danger and which requires absolute ethics to be successful.

The Loong Phol phenomenon confirms one thing: Social media still have a very long way to go.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

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Hundreds of public water dispensers in Bangkok to be removed

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is beginning to dismantle about 400 public water dispensing machines across the city, claiming that most of them are not working due to lack of maintenance, that they are an eyesore, obstructions on footpaths, and may contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

The dispensers were installed on footpaths about two decades ago by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), in cooperation with the BMA and the private sector, to provide free drinking water to Bangkok residents and tourists. Most of them, however, no longer function.

On November 22nd, the Traffic and Transport Office of the BMA asked the MWA to dismantle all the machines within 30 days, otherwise the city administration would remove them and bill the MWA.

The 30-day deadline has passed without anything being done, so the BMA has decided to go ahead and dismantle them.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul led city officials to inspect the dispensers on Rama 6 Road today (Thursday), in front of the Ministry of Industry.

The removal work is expected to be completed within 90 days.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

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Trade Deals Raise Cambodian Hopes for a Brighter, Post-Pandemic Economy

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Cambodia is basing hopes for a post-pandemic economic recovery on free trade agreements with China and South Korea, and membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

RCEP is a free-trade agreement including the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand that will come into effect Jan. 1. RCEP trade pact member countries will have a combined gross domestic product of $26.2 trillion, or about 30% of global GDP.

Analysts said Phnom Penh had aggressively pursued these trade deals amid the crushing economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and withdrawal of some trade perks by the European Union prompted by Cambodia’s human rights and democratic record.

Planning Minister Chhay Than has said more than 6 million jobs in the informal economy have been lost or will be lost due to COVID-19, and the United Nations Development Program expects Cambodia’s poverty rate could double to 17.6% of the population this year.

“They’re absolutely vital to Cambodia’s economic future. The markets for Cambodia in the next several years are going to be primarily its neighboring countries,” said Bart Edes, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Cambodia’s economy has rapidly evolved since the end of 30 years of war in 1998, with Phnom Penh moving firmly into China’s orbit over the last decade. Two-way trade topped $8 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $10 billion in 2023 with October’s signing of the FTA.

A similar agreement was also inked with South Korea after two-way trade reached $880 million in 2020. Under that deal Cambodia will lift tariffs on 93.8% of all products traded, and South Korea will remove tariffs on 95.6% of all items.

RCEP will eliminate up to 90% of tariffs on goods traded between signatories over the next 20 years, which analysts said would further underpin regional integration by building upon China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects.

Edes said the world’s booming economies are disproportionately located in Asia, where Cambodia is strategically positioned as a regional hub among much bigger neighbors Thailand, Vietnam, and the rest of ASEAN, making it an attractive investment destination.

“It’s not just China, it’s other countries in Asia. But these trade agreements, by having rules to the game are very important to Cambodia, these are positive moves for the country, for the people and for the economy and job opportunities,” he said.

Just 20% of Cambodia’s workforce is employed in the formal economy and the remaining 80%, which includes farmers, work in the informal economy, government sources said.

Thirty percent of Cambodians live on or just above the poverty line of $1.90 a day.

The situation was not helped by the withdrawal of some EU trade benefits under its Everything But Arms policy in August of last year, which tied tariff-free access to European markets to ensuring standards of democracy.

Brendan Lalor, a director with Ernst & Young in Cambodia, said the loss of tariff-free access for some goods, such as garments, to the EU and the pandemic had spurred the government into ratifying FTAs.

“With the FTA coming into effect obviously all your import tariffs, quotas, taxes, export restrictions all fall away so that should stimulate further bilateral trade between the two countries,” he said, referring to the FTAs with China and South Korea.

“So there is every chance that an FTA with Korea and China should offset the effects of the partial removal of the EBA,” he said, referring to the EU policy, adding Cambodia was ideally placed to take advantage of RCEP and cross-border trade.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has also said he wants an FTA with Russia.

Cambodia exports include garments, footwear and other apparel, travel products, beverages, electrical and electronic components, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products ranging from rubber to palm oil, cassava and cashews.

Under RCEP, Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak forecast the Cambodian GDP would grow by 2%, with exports up by 7.3% and investment by 23.4% with the elimination of tariffs on 90% of goods traded among signatories over the next 20 years.

“The RCEP agreement will become the core foundation for trade and investment in the region, further expand regional value chains and create more employment and market opportunities for peoples and businesses in the region,” he told Parliament.

However, Wim Conklin, country program director for the Solidarity Center in Cambodia, sounded a note of caution, warning FTAs and RCEP could result in a flood of cheaper goods coming into this country, including plastics, batteries and small household appliances.

“Overall, there could be some positive benefit but at the same time who benefits is always a question,” he said. “A much bigger country having a free trade agreement with another country is never going to be a real level playing field.”

He said FTAs had to be achieved for the benefit of the whole population, as opposed to specific sectors, such as banks and financial services, but he added that cheaper imports could provide a boost for producers and that in turn could benefit workers.

“Will that mean they might get higher wages because greater profits’ being made or certain costs are going down? We hope that might be the case but I’m not sure,” he said.

Source: Voice of America

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Gradual recovery expected for residential market

Thailand’s residential market will gradually improve next year due to more balanced supply and demand and the easing of housing loan regulations, but the full recovery to pre-pandemic levels will not happen until 2023, experts say.

“We’ve seen positive signs at the end of this year and we expect to see a recovery in the Thai property market in 2022. Prices have not increased much and there is no oversupply. Developers can attract so-called “real demand” buyers who have purchasing power as well as long-term investors,” Kamolpat Swaengkit, Country Manager Thailand of DDproperty.com said at a virtual press conference on the market outlook in 2022.

Despite the favorable factors, she cautioned that economic uncertainty remained. “It very much depends on the pandemic situation especially after the arrival of Omicron variant, and how Thailand handles it.”

“COVID-19 has affected all sectors and the property market is no exception. Earlier we thought that the sector would recover in 2021 but in fact, the market declined because of the uncertainties due to the pandemic. In addition, there are not many buyers left after the cut-throat competition and pricing wars in 2020,” she added.

After experiencing its worst year in a while, the property market is expected to pick up in 2022. One of the positive signs is that the Bank of Thailand (BoT) has further eased the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for mortgage lending to allow homebuyers to borrow up to 100% of total home value. The relaxation is effective until the end of next year.

Don Nakornthab, senior director of the financial stability department of BoT, said that the LTV (relaxation) scheme aimed to help boost the property sector supply chains such as construction materials and furniture, as well as the overall economy, which has been affected by the pandemic. It will also help maintain employment in the real estate sector and related industries, which account for almost 10% of the country’s GDP.

“It helps the property market in that it encourages potential buyers to make a decision. The relaxation means a buyer could get a 100% loan for a home purchase. The BoT limits the LTV ratio to 80-90% for a second home, and 70% for a third home. But now a buyer can seek a 100% mortgage although that also depends on the commercial banks granting the loans,” he said at the same virtual press conference.

The central bank expects that the LTV relaxation will generate new mortgage loans valued at around 50 billion baht over the next year.

However, BoT and real estate developers are eagerly awaiting the government’s measures such as reducing property tax and the transfer fee to give a further boost to housing demand and purchasing power.

“The government can do it to stimulate the market. It need not spend money [from the budget] by doing so but just lose some revenue,” said Don.

The easing will also help maintain employment in the real estate sector and related industries.

He said foreign buyers, particularly the Chinese, would not return any time soon so the extra push from the government is practical to boost local demand.

While there is still a demand for housing, Kamolpat said that the COVID-19 pandemic became the key factor in delaying decisions to buy. “The outbreak affected the cash flow and confidence of prospective home buyers,” she said.

As many as 71% of Thai people still want to buy homes but have delayed their purchases, and 39% of them plan to buy homes in 1-2 years, according to the latest DDproperty’s Consumer Sentiment Study.

The major obstacle is loss of income during the pandemic (66%) followed by the price of houses (63%), political uncertainties, and failure to get a home mortgage from the banks (equal at 37%). “It’s obvious that financial problems are still the main obstacle for home buyers,” she said. According to Agency for Real Estate Affairs, the residential units launched on the market in 2021 came to about 47,500, the lowest number in a decade. The new units are worth 224.6 billion baht in total – less than half of the pre-COVID-19 value. Before the pandemic in 2018, Bangkok’s residential market totaled 565 billion baht with 125,118 newly launched units in total.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

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Thailand Seizes More Than $30 Million in Drugs Bound for Australia

Authorities in Thailand intercepted more than 193 kilograms of amphetamine hidden in punching bags bound for Australia where it would have a street value of almost $30 million.

The drugs, packaged in bags each weighing more than 10 kilograms, were hidden in 15 punching bags.

Officials told a news conference the shipment was inspected by Thai customs after authorities grew suspicious since the Thai-made boxing training tool is not in high demand in Australia.

They did not provide details of when the drugs were seized.

Both Thai and Australian authorities are working together in the investigation.

Source: Voice of America

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Protesters against biomass power plant stage hunger strike

Twelve protesters from Nabon district, in Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, began a hunger strike this morning, in front of Government House in Bangkok, to reinforce their demand that the government review the bio-mass power plant project in their area.

Leaders of the “Save Nabon” protest said today (Thursday) that the hunger strike represents escalating civil disobedience, after they rejected an offer of talks yesterday with officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning.

They claimed that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had ordered the project be reviewed, but that a committee has not yet been set up.

The protesters have been camping at the Chamaimaruchet Bridge, which is close to Government House, since last night and they are vowing to stay put until their demand is met.

Police have blocked access to Government House by erecting steel barricades on the road, from Chamaimaruchet Bridge to Misakawan intersection, completely closing the roads in front of Government House to traffic. Cargo containers have also been placed to block entry to Soi Rama 5, running parallel to Prem Prachakorn Canal.

Earlier, the protesters demanded that Deputy National Police chief Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta who is a major shareholder in Absolute Clean Energy Public Company (ACE), which has invested two other companies building the bio-mass power plants, to scrap the project, but he said such a decision was not in his power.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

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Hitachi Energy wins major contract for the first-of-its-kind sub-sea power transmission network in the MENA region advancing a sustainable energy future for Abu Dhabi

HVDC Light® will connect low-carbon power from the mainland grid to ADNOC’s production operations as a strategic project to enable a sustainable, flexible and secure power supply.

Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy today announced it has won a major order from Samsung C&T Corporation, one of the world’s largest engineering and construction companies, to connect ADNOC’s offshore operations to the onshore power grid in the United Arab Emirates owned and operated by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA).

Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light® technology and MACHTM digital control platform1 will enable the transfer of cleaner and more efficient power from the mainland to power ADNOC’s offshore production operations, enabling a carbon footprint reduction of ADNOC’s offshore operations by more than thirty percent.

This innovative solution reinforces Hitachi Energy’s commitment to helping customers and countries to transition towards a carbon-neutral future and help enable the ‘2050 Net-Zero  Initiative’ of the UAE.

With a capacity of 3,200 megawatts (MW), the two HVDC links will be by far the most powerful power-from-shore solution in the Middle East and North America (MENA) region to date. It is also the first HVDC power-from-shore solution outside Norwegian waters. This innovative solution reflects how Hitachi Energy continues to pioneer technology to address the growing interest from national and independent oil and gas companies to power their offshore production facilities with carbon-free energy from onshore power grids.

“We are proud to be enabling Abu Dhabi and ADNOC to make significant progress on their pathway toward achieving the United Arab Emirates’ ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2050,” said Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy. He continued, “At Hitachi Energy we are championing the urgency of the clean energy transition, and this major order is further evidence that we are a ‘go to’ partner for developing and deploying technologies and solutions that are advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure.”

Mr. SH Kim, Procurement Manager at Samsung C&T Corporation, commented, “In Hitachi Energy, we have selected a trusted partner who brings deep global competence and a strong mindset of collaboration and innovation.” SH Kim continued, “Together, we will serve ADNOC with pioneering technologies that are proven to deliver for such a large HVDC project.”

The entire power-from-shore project will comprise two HVDC power links, which will connect two clusters of offshore oil and gas production facilities to the mainland power grid, a distance of up to 140 kilometers for each cluster.

Hitachi Energy is supplying four converter stations, which convert AC power to DC for transmission in the subsea cables, then reconvert it to AC from DC for use in the offshore power systems. The HVDC technology will be supplied from Hitachi Energy’s global competence centers. Also included in the order are system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning. Hitachi Energy will support the customers with a long-term life-cycle service agreement leveraging digital technologies to ensure system availability and reliability over the HVDC links’ long operating life.

HVDC Light is a voltage source converter technology that was pioneered by Hitachi Energy. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting national power grids, integrating offshore wind parks with mainland transmission systems, feeding more power into congested city centers, interconnecting asynchronous networks that operate at different frequencies, and power from shore.

HVDC Light’s defining features include uniquely compact converter stations (which is extremely important in space-critical applications like offshore wind, offshore production facilities and city-center infeeds), exceptionally low electrical losses, and black-start capability to restore power after a grid outage.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC Classic projects and more than 70 percent of the world’s voltage source conversion HVDC projects.

Notes:

  1. Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH™)
  2. The estimated reduction in carbon footprint is based on Hitachi Energy’s own calculations.

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

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Rebecca Bleasdale
Hitachi Energy Ltd.
+41 78643 2613
rebecca.bleasdale@hitachienergy.com