Irina Galkova
Valeria Khvostova
Miron Ryabovolov
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)
Natalia Yankovskaya
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Hitachi Energy is a global technological company that introduces various programs in 90 countries aimed at achieving sustainable development goals. Together with customers and partners, they pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future.
The main SDGs that we are going to write about:
1. Affordable and Clean Energy;
2. Responsible Consumption and Production.
Moreover, we will also touch on other goals such as:
1. Good Health and Well-Being;
2. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions;
3. Partnerships for the Goals.
In 2021, the company launched EconiQ™, which is their portfolio of environmentally efficient products. This way they enable companies to transition to environmentally efficient solutions.
The key innovation is Hitachi Energy's EconiQ portfolio of sustainable energy solutions, including their pioneering EconiQ equipment and digital technologies. At the core of EconiQ are innovations in high-voltage transformers that replace traditional oil-filled designs with more environmentally-friendly insulating fluids.
The emergence of EconiQ was driven by Hitachi Energy's mission to advance a cleaner, flexible and secure global energy system. Recognizing that accelerating decarbonization was urgently needed, teams of Hitachi Energy engineers and experts came together to develop EconiQ. Leveraging deep domain knowledge and utilizing approaches like life cycle analysis, they conceptualized and designed the EconiQ technologies.
The company provides a roadmap as well as the products for customers to observe the scalability of the products and purchase them on the way to achieving sustainability.
Hitachi Energy offers EconiQ Consulting to support clients in tackling their unique environmental challenges. Through this service, experts provide valuable insights to inform and guide clients' sustainability initiatives, helping to lower their overall carbon footprint.
The goal of EconiQ Consulting is for Hitachi Energy to partner with clients, assisting them in defining appropriate strategies and then implementing intended actions. Advisory services enable clients to achieve environmental, operational and financial sustainability targets.
Key enablers that EconiQ Consulting focuses on include accessibility, reliability, energy efficiency and environmental protection - all of which spur innovation and drive the decarbonization necessary to safeguard our planet.
Additionally, EconiQ Consulting delivers EconiQ Implementation services. This provides a detailed mapping of all greenhouse gas emissions from a client's operations and projects. This raises awareness of impacts while optimizing work to reduce or prevent emissions. Offsets are also utilized to address remaining impacts. The end result is clients gaining a better understanding of how to enhance sustainability in daily business practices.
The Seed of an Idea
The scientists and engineers at Hitachi Energy were deeply motivated by the urgent need to accelerate progress on climate change and enable a sustainable energy future. "We understood the scale of transformation required across systems to achieve carbon neutrality goals," reflects RnD employee, who led the initial research efforts. With electricity poised to power our societies like never before, the team believed their technology leadership could pave the way.
During brainstorming sessions, their discussions kept returning to how they could maximize the environmental benefits of innovations throughout a product's lifecycle. "Rather than isolated solutions, we wanted to conceptualize sustainability at the core of our design process," notes RnD employee. This seed of an idea blossomed into EconiQ - a portfolio approach that institutionalized environmental excellence.
A Purpose Greater Than Profits
The purpose driving EconiQ from the start was to deliver quantifiable social and planetary impact. "Of course commercial success remains important, but our north star became enabling clean energy for all," says RnD employee. Instead of incremental gains, their ambition was to establish new benchmarks for industries to follow. By focusing on scientific metrics like reduced emissions and empowering transparency, Hitachi Energy hopes to accelerate emissions reductions far beyond their operations.
Today, EconiQ is helping organizations transition at the scale and pace required to stabilize the climate. Its success shows that through vision and partnership, bold innovations can mobilize systems towards a sustainable future.
Hitachi Energy's EconiQ portfolio has provided significant benefits to the company's business. By developing environmentally-efficient technologies for high-voltage equipment, EconiQ has strengthened Hitachi Energy's leadership in sustainable energy solutions. This has helped attract new customers and resulted in increased sales of products like EconiQ transformers. The consulting and advisory services under EconiQ also generate additional revenue streams. Overall, EconiQ has enhanced Hitachi Energy's competitiveness and supported its continued financial growth.
The widespread adoption of EconiQ technologies by Hitachi Energy's utility and industry customers has led to major societal gains. EconiQ solutions have enabled increased access to reliable and affordable clean energy globally. This supports electrification and transitions to renewable resources. Moreover, EconiQ equipment like oil-free transformers improve public safety by reducing fire risks near populated areas. Both short and long-term, EconiQ helps advance sustainability priorities and quality of life.
By significantly lowering CO2 emissions from equipment use phase and optimizing daily operations, EconiQ solutions have provided substantial environmental benefits. Scientific analyses show EconiQ reduces lifecycle emissions. This mitigates climate change over the long-run. EconiQ also protects local ecosystems by eliminating risks from oil leaks and spills. Overall, EconiQ supports decarbonization and environmental stewardship goals crucial to sustainable development.
Empowering Green Growth
When Hitachi Energy unveiled EconiQ, many were skeptical that such a sustainability-centered approach could also benefit the bottom line. However, the portfolio has proven to power new opportunities for profitability alongside purpose.
EconiQ solutions deliver immediate returns through improved efficiency. Transformers and other products save energy costs throughout operation, helping clients meet sustainability targets cost-effectively. "Some customers can recoup the premium in just a few years through energy savings," says interwee. Others leverage performance data to access green financing.
The portfolio also strengthens competitive positioning globally. Demand grows for emissions reductions, yet many firms lack expertise in clean technologies. EconiQ transfers deep expertise through consulting and has become an industry reference standard. As interwee explains, "Clients see us as a long-term partner empowering their energy transition."
Perhaps most significantly, EconiQ fosters customer loyalty and trust that drive future growth. By prioritizing environmental and social metrics alongside economic ones, Hitachi Energy deepens relationships. As one satisfied client stated, "They proved sustainability and business can be mutually reinforcing, which is why they now oversee 30% of our energy infrastructure projects."
In showing how applying sustainability principles to innovation creates new market opportunities, EconiQ blazes a trail for others. Its success indicates that addressing environmental and social challenges need not conflict with – but can actively power – competitive advantage and profits.
Hitachi Energy's EconiQ portfolio and sustainability initiatives aim to directly support progress on key environmental and social issues. By accelerating the transition to cleaner sources of electricity production and distribution, EconiQ technologies and services help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. This contributes to mitigating the worst impacts of climate change, which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. By increasing the efficiency of electricity transmission and use, EconiQ solutions also help lower energy costs for customers over the long run. More affordable access to electricity can help reduce energy poverty worldwide.
EconiQ's use of alternative insulating fluids that are safer for humans and the environment enhances safety near electricity infrastructure projects. This brings tangible benefits to the surrounding communities by reducing risks of fires, contamination, and other accidents. Hitachi Energy's focus on adopting greener practices across their operations and value chain through EconiQ implementation also yields environmental gains like reduced pollution and lower emissions. Their offer to support organizations in mapping and optimizing carbon footprints can motivate emissions reductions across many industries and economies.
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Vladimir Galkov, Project Manager
Hitachi Energy is a global company that specializes in providing innovative and sustainable energy solutions. With a focus on delivering reliable and efficient power solutions, the company offers products and services in various areas such as power generation, transmission, and distribution.