Netcontrol enabling green energy investments in the Middle East

Netcontrol and its regional partners are an enabler for the Middle East to expand investment in renewable-energy electrical networks. With over 30 years of expertise behind them, Netcontrol’s products and solutions are prepared for the demands ahead so they can enable distribution network companies to transition to a greener, safer and secure energy infrastructure.

The mega driver trend in energy distribution and renewable energy production

Two major drivers of change in the Middle East’s energy sector are the increasing shift toward renewable energy and the modernization of electricity distribution systems. Countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are aiming for a cleaner, more diversified energy mix. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets 50% of the country’s energy to come from renewables, primarily solar power, by 2030, while the UAE continues to push forward with projects such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

In parallel with renewable energy production, there is a growing emphasis on improving energy storage and distribution systems. The integration of intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind requires advanced grid automation to ensure a stable, reliable power supply. Additionally, energy storage solutions – such as large-scale battery systems – are becoming critical for managing fluctuations in supply and demand.

Netcontrol’s grid automation solutions are uniquely positioned to address these challenges, offering real-time data analytics, intelligent decision-making and seamless integration with renewable energy sources. This makes the company’s technology a key enabler of grid stability in a region undergoing rapid energy transition.

Complex challenges require innovative solutions

The solutions of yesterday are not those for tomorrow, but the experience gained in the past forms the foundation for future solutions. The wealth of knowledge within Netcontrol that comes from decades of designing solutions for controlling the supply of electrical energy is constantly being reshaped and reapplied to match the needs of our customers. Coupled with the insights we gain from the operators of energy networks through our customer workshops, we can provide solutions that, although installed today, are ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

Innovative solutions require innovative partners

As we constantly strive to advance our products and services, we also face the challenge of finding global partners who can best serve their customers with these innovations. With innovation comes complexity, and today our global sales partners must be fully equipped to support our products and services with their new, sophisticated features and functions.

Reliance on outsourced expertise

While electrical networks – and the products and services that support them – are becoming more complex, the utility sector is also scaling back its in-house expertise. This entails a much greater reliance on the skills, expertise and agility of the supplier base. Netcontrol is not immune to this shift and must ensure that it works with global partners who are equal to the challenges we face. This means that in addition to providing and supporting our products, our partners must embrace the need to offer broader services to our customers. For our partners, the days of transactional relationships are over; instead, they need to foster collaborative relationships to best serve our customers.

One of the methods we have adopted to help our partners transition to a collaborative model is to enhance the advanced products we supply with tailored service solutions for comprehensive lifecycle management. These additional service solutions fall into three main categories:

• VALVOT – SCADA maintenance and 24/7 support
• ONE – Fleet management solutions and support for RTUs
• DOME – Vendor-agnostic cybersecurity services

Our partners

Our global partners must not only fully understand the benefits that Netcontrol’s products bring to their customers but also be prepared to manage that complexity and sophistication on the client’s behalf. This, in turn, means Netcontrol must rely on a global network of highly skilled, experienced and versatile organizations to best serve its global customers.

Big is not always better

Over the years at Netcontrol, we have found that bigger is not always better. We apply this principle when selecting our global partners. Smaller, more agile partners with specific market niches are often better suited to supporting our products and customers. For this reason, we sometimes segment our partners both by geography and product to ensure that we best serve our customers. Our product segmentation has four main categories:

• Netcon 3000 – Electrical network SCADA solutions
• Netcon 500 – Primary substation gateway and automation solutions
• Netcon 200 – Secondary substation digitization and control
• Netcon 1+ – Smart controller for overhead air-switches and disconnectors

Each of these segments requires a unique and sometimes overlapping skill set, which is not always fully supported by a single global partner. Similarly, within the electrical network organization, there are different teams associated with these segments, resulting in varied lines of communication between our partners and customers.

Become a Netcontrol global partner

Our global network of partners is an integral part of our organization, and it serves as the main point of contact between our company and our global customers. We select our partners with careful consideration, based on several factors – primarily, current and potential customer base, technical expertise, experience and reputation. If you believe your company has the capability to become a global partner with Netcontrol, contact us to begin a discussion about our future collaboration.

Author

Douglas Brown is the Managing director of Netcontrol UK and is responsible for the company’s international markets and partner networks. He joined the company in 2011 and has a background in grid automation and telecommunications. Connect with Douglas on LinkedIn here.