A forum for top executives and experts of power grid operators to address current challenges and the future of power grids opened in Dubai, UAE, today (November 11).

 

The second GO15 Annual Forum 2015, under the theme 'Power Grids and the challenges of climate change,' in collaboration with the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), was inaugurated by Dr Matar Al Neyadi, undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy at the Intercontinental Hotel.

 

GO15 is a unique joint initiative of 18 of the largest power grid operators around the world. The event will regroup more than 150 world leaders from the electricity industry, including grid operators, government representatives, regulators, leaders of major international industry associations, industry experts and major suppliers from the electricity and electric vehicles industry.

 

The forum started with welcome remarks by Dr Al Neyadi, followed by speeches from keynote speakers from Wilts Electrical Contracting Limited (WEC), Energy Charter, and an introduction by Alain Steven, GO15's secretary general.

 

“We are proudly co-organising GO15 Annual Meeting and Forum 2015 for the first time in an Arab country. The GO15 today will address climate changes and integration of renewables in electricity grids. This event is a platform to exchange expertise and further enhance electricity operations in the GCC and the world,” said Dr Neyadi.

 

“During this Forum, the GCC Interconnection Authority will give insights into its operations, to help peers recognise world-class practices applied in this part of the world,” he said.

 

GO15 chief executive officers will issue a declaration on their commitment to enable the transition to the changing power mix while maintaining a reliable and resilient power grid at an affordable cost to consumers.

 

The event included two main panels: effective reliable integration of distributed resources in the power grids, and the Flexibility of Power Grids. 

 

The first panel discussed the future of the power grids, with focus on the technical, operational and economic aspects of massive integration of distributed energy sources in the power grids. It also included topics such as renewable generation, distributed storage, electrical vehicles, and demand side management and demand response.

 

The second panel addressed the technologies and solutions that will enable the future power grids to support the transition to the new energy mix, and to operate in a more flexible manner, in order to accommodate the intermittency and distributed nature of embedded generation, and changing consumption patterns. 

 

The topics of discussion include distributed resources coordination and control, microgrids, grid resources for flexibility: HVDC, FACTS, Micro FACTS, Phase Shifters and SVCCs, as well as Dynamic Line Rating (DLR).

 

“We hope this event will be fruitful with major announcements. Our efforts in GCCIA are inspired by the principles and goals of the GCC with the goal of boosting cooperation and fostering the links between GCC states and GO15 network,” Al Neyadi added. - TradeArabia News Service