Analysis

Mitsubishi Power Completes Landmark 5,300MW Combined Cycle Power Plant Project in Thailand

Final Eighth M701JAC Unit Begins Operation at Gulf Group and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Joint Venture Plant This marks Mitsubishi Power’s largest-ever completed order by capacity, contributing to Thailand’s energy security and decarbonisation – The project’s previous seven M701JAC gas turbine units installed across two GTCC plants in Rayong and Chonburi Provinces have collectively operated for 100,000 hours Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has completed construction of the eighth and final M701JAC unit of a 5,300MW natural gas-fired power plant project in Thailand. The project, a joint venture between Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, one of Thailand’s largest independent power producers (IPP), and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui & Co.), a Japanese trading company, successfully commenced full commercial operations on October 1, 2024. GTCC Power Plant in Rayong The milestone marks the on-time completion of a multi-phase project awarded in 2018, featuring two gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) plants in Chonburi and Rayong Provinces, key hubs for technological manufacturing and services, with a total installed capacity of 5,300 MW. Each plant is equipped with four M701JAC gas turbines, steam turbines, and heat recovery steam generators, ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy supply critical for Thailand’s energy security and economic growth. On October 1, the first seven units installed in Chonburi and Rayong have collectively logged 100,000 actual operating hours (AOH), reinforcing their proven reliability. The project’s first phase at the Chonburi power plant* marked a significant milestone as the site of Mitsubishi Power’s inaugural J-Series Air-Cooled (JAC) gas turbine installation in Southeast Asia in 2021. The plant was fully completed in October 2022 and received the prestigious “Power Plant of the Year”‘ award at the Power and Energy Awards, presented during the annual Enlit Asia 2023 conference and exhibition. The units were delivered […]

Water-Energy Efficiencies: The Catalyst to Semiconductor Sustainability

–Eric Lai, Senior Regional Sales Director for Industry APAC Fuelled by the explosive growth of emerging markets like AI and electric vehicles, the semiconductor industry – which manufactures the essential materials that power these technologies – is poised to grow into a massive trillion-dollar industry by 2030[1]. At the very heart of this growth lies Southeast Asia, as markets in the region actively pursue opportunities to capture higher value-add positions within the burgeoning global industry. In fact, Singapore’s Minister of State of Trade and Industry called for efforts for the state to sharpen its competitive edge in the semiconductor industry as it aims to double its manufacturing sector’s value by 2030[2]. However, despite the semiconductor industry’s immense potential for economic growth, its notorious thirst for water and energy stand at direct odds with Southeast Asia’s climate ambitions, wherein most countries across the region have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050. How can the growth of semiconductor manufacturing be reconciled with these climate targets to achieve balanced and sustainable long-term development? The Water-Energy Nexus in Semiconductor Manufacturing Intensifying climate events around the globe have brought the semiconductor industry’s immense resource consumption to the fore. Growing concerns about global water shortages have placed the sector’s water usage under scrutiny, while its substantial electricity consumption remains a focal point of concern. However, discussions about these resources tend to occur in silos, with limited focus on the water-energy nexus – which refers to the interdependent relationship between both resources. For instance, considerable energy is required to treat and move water in semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs); conversely, water is critical for the energy generation processes that power these facilities. To truly drive sustainability in this sector, there needs to be a concerted effort to move beyond traditional energy reduction to target the energy-intensive water processes […]

Accuron Technologies & Hyundai CRADLE Co-Invest in Xnergy

Singapore-based Precision Engineering Group Incubates Contactless Charging Start-Up Accuron Technologies (Accuron), in partnership with Hyundai CRADLE—Hyundai Motor’s corporate venturing and open innovation business, is pleased to announce a strategic investment in Xnergy Autonomous Power Technologies (Xnergy), a Singapore-headquartered start-up developing contactless charging solutions for autonomous electrified mobility. This investment also heralds the formal launch of Accuron’s New Ventures pillar—dedicated to fostering innovative technologies through targeted venture investments. Accuron New Ventures marks a pivotal expansion of the Group’s strategic vision, and this new pillar will focus on ventures into high-potential start-ups that are well-aligned with global megatrends and sustainability imperatives, further positioning Accuron as a leader in driving industry transformation. It will continue to identify and invest in groundbreaking technologies, with a view to strengthen the Group’s position in emerging markets and sectors. Empowering Progress in Pivotal Megatrends Accuron has consistently nurtured innovation across its core business groups of Aerospace, Industrial Technologies, and Advanced Manufacturing, and is now broadening its coverage with the introduction of New Ventures. The Group’s investment philosophy is to facilitate the growth of high-potential businesses, and through which, to enhance its portfolio. The capital injection into Xnergy exemplifies this approach and showcases Accuron’s commitment to foster emerging companies—not only through financial backing, but also complemented by strategic support with corporate management and expert oversight. Xnergy was chosen for its strong positioning in the AMR charging market, as well as its ability to seize opportunities in the burgeoning EV charging segment, particularly in China. The start-up’s robust management team, proprietary technology, and strategic partnerships at present further solidify its potential as a transformative player in this space. “We’re pleased to welcome Xnergy into the Accuron New Ventures portfolio,” expressed Edwin Chow, Vice President for Industrials & New Ventures at Accuron Technologies. “Their innovative solutions in contactless charging are […]

South Korean consortiums leading the realisation of industrial metaverse

Consortium achievements illustrate the capability of industrial metaverse in 3 industry whitepapers Technology is evolving to support modernisation and enable innovation in industry. South Korea’s National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) is supporting local technology development, eventually promoting the efforts and success to an international audience. Though often conflated with gaming and social networking, metaverse is an important tool that can improve operations and is increasingly being leveraged for industrial environments. In 3 recently released whitepapers, NIPA and Frost & Sullivan detail the cases of successful industrial metaverse implementation in the country. By sharing these cases, NIPA is expressing the capability of domestic technology and promoting Korean expertise internationally. Junam Lee, Director at NIPA for the Metaverse Convergence team says, “We believe that we have lots of advanced technologies to share and cooperate with nearby countries in terms of geography and culture.” Most organsations cannot easily execute industrial metaverse technology due to budget and customisation requirements. These papers identify ways that this innovative technology can be implemented right now. Supporting flexible manufacturing in the automotive industry One of the papers published details the benefits of the industrial metaverse and how it has supported the manufacturing industry, specifically automotive. The automotive industry, which is a major part of many Asian economies, is evolving to require flexible manufacturing systems for electric and autonomous vehicles. This paper outlines the path to industrial metaverse realization that enables flexible manufacturing. The consortium led by Shutagen, a technology service company, was able to achieve business and manufacturing agility through industrial metaverse with a deployment at the Hyundai Ulsan plant. XR devices to enable multiple use cases Another paper looks at the use of extended reality (XR) devices and how they support the expansion of metaverse use in industry. The consortium project aimed to develop a mass-produced […]

Token 2049’s Spotlight: Asia Leads the Race for the First DeSci Unicorn

At the event “How to Pinpoint the First DeSci Unicorn?” held on September 17, 2024, in Singapore during Token 2049, renowned tech leaders and investors gathered to discuss the future of decentralized science (DeSci). Led by Dr. Tuan Cao, founder of LIFE AI; Matthew Immerso, Head of New Investments at Blockchange Ventures, and Justin Kim, Head of Asia at Ava Labs from Ava Labs. According to Dr. Tuan Cao, DeSci is emerging as one of the most disruptive fields of the next decade. Decentralized platforms not only ensure transparency, decentralization, and global collaboration in research but also unlock enormous opportunities in precision medicine and personalized healthcare based on genetic data. “The potential of DeSci is tremendous, but why haven’t we seen any unicorns in this field yet? and would Asia be the birthplace of the first DeSci unicorn?” Dr. Tuan Cao posed this thought-provoking question to the panelists. Matthew Immerso highlighted three key obstacles to the rise of a DeSci unicorn. First, the lifecycle of scientific businesses is significantly longer than in other industries, often measured in years. Second, DeSci projects handle sensitive data requiring strict quality standards, slowing their growth. Third, user engagement is a challenge due to the limited opportunities for users to interact with DeSci platforms. Dr. Tuan Cao highlighted many existing projects primarily use crypto for fundraising, limiting the scope of DeSci. He expressed satisfaction in seeing projects like LIFE AI that focus on real technology, users, and partnerships to address pressing social needs. Justin Kim emphasised the importance of technology readiness in DeSci. He noted that sensitive user data must be decentralized with clear permissions for access, transactions, and smart contract deployment. Both Immerso and Kim acknowledged the pivotal role of founders who understand the scientific and healthcare challenges and are ready to implement Web […]

Is life getting better for China’s tech billionaires?

Wenting He, PhD candidate of International Relations, Australian National University. According to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Pony Ma, co-founder of Tencent Holdings, is once again China’s richest person, now with a net worth of more than A$65 billion, placing him 27th globally. Close behind him in the rankings are bottled water tycoon Zhong Shanshan, and Zhang Yiming, the main co-founder of tech giant ByteDance, which owns TikTok. Only a few years ago, China’s ruling Communist Party launched a crackdown on billionaires and other business leaders. Some were publicly jailed. Others simply disappeared from public view. Ma’s resurgence might seem like a positive signal of a more permissive market environment. But as we watch China’s private sector grow, we should remember it follows China’s unique playbook. The ascent of Tencent Ma’s wealth primarily comes from his stake in Tencent, which he co-founded in 1998 with its headquarters in Shenzhen. As China’s economy grew, Tencent became a world-leading internet and technology company. Tech billionaire Pony Ma at a government meeting in 2018. Song Fan/AP Tencent is well-known for QQ and WeChat, which quickly became two of the most popular instant messaging apps in China and connect more than a billion people. Tencent is also the largest video game vendor in China, with popular games such as “Honour of Kings” and “League of Legends”. Last month, Tencent released “Black Myth: Wukong”, China’s first-ever “AAA” video game. AAA is a globally recognised gaming industry buzzword that refers to major, high-budget, standalone productions. The much-hyped game surpassed 10 million sales across platforms within three days of its release, becoming one of China’s most successful games of all time. The game itself draws on a 16th century Chinese novel called “Journey to the West” and features various Chinese landscapes. Its popularity aligns with Beijing’s ongoing efforts to boost China’s international cultural appeal. China’s state-owned media outlet Xinhua […]

Beijing E-Town builds demonstration city for robot industry

As a pioneer in high-quality development for the new era, Beijing E-Town (BDA) is seizing the opportunity to lead the development of the embodied intelligent robot industry. The plan is to build a domestically leading and internationally first-class demonstration city for the embodied intelligent robot industry in two steps. “By the end of 2026, we aim to achieve full coverage of over ten interactive service application scenarios, attract more than 100 innovative enterprises, gather over 1,000 high-end talents, and reach a mass production capacity of 10,000 embodied intelligent robots. “By 2030, we plan to create an embodied intelligent robot innovation ecosystem characterised by ‘full-chain layout, full-stack autonomy, and comprehensive empowerment,’ establishing Beijing as a strategic base, a technological origin, an application demonstration, and a main industrial hub for embodied intelligent robots in China,” stated Kong Lei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), during the main forum on “Industrial Development” at the World Robot Conference 2024 (WRC 2024) on August 22. To achieve the development goals of the demonstration city, Beijing E-Town will implement the “Five Priorities” plan. In terms of advancing key technologies, Beijing E-Town will focus on critical areas such as the “brain,” “cerebellum,” and “limbs” of embodied intelligent robots. It will support key enterprises in strengthening collaborative research on disruptive and leading technologies, accelerate the construction of an innovative industrial technology system, and seize the high ground in embodied intelligent robot technology. To this end, Beijing E-Town will create an internationally competitive embodied intelligent “brain,” supporting robot companies in collaboration with AI enterprises to conduct research on key technologies of general-purpose large models in the field of embodied intelligent robots. It aims to develop an AI-based general-purpose model that integrates perception, decision-making, and control, […]

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AI and Sustainability in Advanced Manufacturing to take Centre Stage at Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC (ITAP) 2024

Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC (ITAP), will be held at Singapore EXPO from 14 -16 October 2024. Focusing on shaping the future with sustainable manufacturing, ITAP 2024 will spotlight the latest AI integration capabilities that enable diverse manufacturing sectors at various stages of technology adoption to foster business growth while contributing towards global climate goals. National AI developments to spur AI integration in manufacturing The Asia Pacific region is leading the smart manufacturing sector, which is expecting to grow at 15.7% CAGR through 2030. This is underscored by the accelerating rollout pace of AI policies that will lead to its greater adoption by manufacturers. Various industries are currently seeing more AI integration. For instance, Rolls-Royce, at their Seletar campus, uses AI for predictive analytics and maintenance of aircraft engines, enhancing reliability and performance while minimizing downtime. At ST Engineering, AI is used in predictive maintenance, enhancing production efficiency, and improving product quality across its various sectors, including aerospace and electronics. At a national level, Singapore revised national AI strategy (NAIS) with one of the aims to triple the nation’s AI workforce to 15,000 by 2029 and plans to invest more than $1 billion (US$743.7 million) over the next five years in AI computing, talent and industry development. Indonesia projects that AI will make a significant contribution of US$366 billion to its economy in the next decade. Indonesia aims to accelerate the growth of Southeast Asia’s largest AI ecosystem with the 2045 Artificial Intelligence National Strategy (Stratnas AI). In Vietnam, the government has approved a national strategy on AI that will enable Vietnam to become a hub for AI innovation and solutions in the Southeast Asian region and globally by 2030. Malaysia is propelling ahead with its Malaysia AI Roadmap 2021-2025, having recently launched the Malaysia Artificial Intelligence Consortium (MAIC) and the AI […]

Stephanie Ledwidge, Associate, Life Sciences, Linesight

From July issue, Women Going Places Women Going Places July 2024 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu Top of mind trends in the life sciences sector, opportunities and challenges that businesses should be mindful of? The life sciences sector has been historically consolidated within designated parts of Asia-Pacific, but this has evolved over recent years, and we are now seeing key pharmaceutical hubs emerging across the region with a healthy pipeline of projects underway. As outlined in Linesight’s latest Construction Market Insights Report, skilled labour is a key challenge impacting construction growth opportunities. In developed life sciences markets such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Australia, there is a significant shortage of biotech talent. Although headwinds such as interest rates and skilled labour shortages remain front of mind, the outlook remains promising and there are opportunities for sustained growth in this sector. This is backed by significant investments from governments and the private sector to accelerate R&D activities, and place further emphasis on building supply chain resilience. For large-scale projects in this industry, effective programme and supply chain management as well as collaborating with a local partner to understand regional nuances and identify strategic opportunities, is crucial. How gender equality has evolved in the construction and life sciences industry, and share your experience as a female leader in these sectors The construction industry has predominately been a male dominated field for decades and still is. However, there are now a lot of initiatives in Singapore to promote STEM learning in schools and universities to support a future talent pipeline of women in construction. In fact, approximately 48% of all STEM degree candidates in Singapore’s universities are women. Whilst there is still more work to do to achieve a true gender balance, the life sciences industry has […]

Cisco and Rockwell to accelerate digital transformation in Asia Pacific industrial market

(left to right) Nicole Denil, vice president, Global Market Access, Rockwell Automation • Ruchika Jain, director, marketing and strategy – Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation • Shovan Sengupta, regional vice president, market Access – Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation • Scott Wooldridge, regional president – Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation • Kartika Prihadi, Vice President, Partner Sales & Routes to Market, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China (APJC), Cisco • Simon Young, General Manager, Strategic Industry Partners, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China (APJC), Cisco • Yadi Karyadi, Country Solution Architect, Indonesia, Cisco. Cisco, a worldwide leader in networking and security, and Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, has announced a collaboration to propel digital transformation of the industrial market in the Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China region. The announcement was made as the two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the same. Cisco and Rockwell Automation provide technologies and services that enable manufacturers to optimise operations, enhance productivity, and ensure the security of their industrial networks. This collaboration will see the two companies coming together to facilitate the implementation of advanced automation solutions, such as connected factories and industrial IoT, while also addressing the unique challenges and requirements of manufacturing environments. “As industries across APJC embark on their digital transformation journeys, our collaboration with Rockwell Automation is poised to deliver significant value for our customers,” said Kartika Prihadi, Vice President, Partners & Routes to Market Sales, Cisco. “By joining forces, we aim to empower industrial enterprises with cutting-edge secure connectivity solutions that drive operational efficiency, enhance productivity and unlock new growth opportunities.” The MOU signifies a deeper commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation between Cisco and Rockwell Automation, as they work together to harness the power of digital technologies and automation solutions […]

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