WHITE PAPER

The global energy ecosystem is in the middle of a significant change. The industry is moving away from conventional large-scale infrastructure with a heavy reliance on fossil fuel-based generation, to focus on
clean sustainable energy and embracing the power of digital – or smart – technology. 

With the digital transformation of the energy sector rapidly gaining traction on a global scale, new opportunities are emerging to help deliver efficient, affordable and reliable electricity to consumers. And key to this transformation is the deployment of innovative technologies and new business models to facilitate change.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen the emergence of smar t grids as a flagship application for digital technology in energy. Trends such as renewable energy integration, automated metering, grid decentralisation and growth in distributed generation have driven this need for smarter solutions and we anticipate a huge acceleration in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Africa faces a very unique set of challenges as it looks to embrace the new future of energy. The continent has the lowest electrification rates in the world, a strong reliance on fossil fuel power, rapid industrial growth, and in many instances relies on aging and inefficient systems.

In this Whitepaper we’ll be exploring the opportunities and challenges faced in Africa – and in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) – as the new future emerges. In particular we’ll look at the exciting role of smar t technology to transform our grids as we begin to see continuous change in the way energy is generated, distributed, traded, managed and stored.

The future of transmission and distribution (T&D) in Africa will be defined by the convergence of energy infrastructure with digital technology to drive efficiency and deliver a fundamental change in the relationship
between consumer and supplier.