In conversation with Dr George Wang, chief technology officer and vice-president, Envision Energy 

What is Envision?

Envision Group is a greentech company that designs, sells and operates smart wind turbines through Envision Energy, AIoT-powered batteries through Envision AESC, and the world’s largest AIoT operating system through Envision Digital. 

With a mission of ‘solving the challenges for a sustainable future’, Envision continues to promote wind power as the ‘new coal’, batteries and hydrogen fuels as the ‘new oil’, the AIoT network as the ‘new grid’, and the net-zero industrial park as the ‘new infrastructure’ to create a new industrial ecosystem.

Currently, Envision has more than 40GW of projects installed across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and 4.9 GW awarded in regions like Mena, Europe, and Asia. 

Where are the best opportunities for wind energy in the Mena region?

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has said the Mena region will have 10.7GW of wind energy capacity by 2024. The countries involved include Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and South Africa, among others. And we already are winning projects in these regions.

The region recognises the socioeconomic benefits of renewable energy deployment, which is perceived as an opportunity for industrial diversification, new value-chain activities and technology transfer. Even in resource-rich countries, renewables are the solution to drive economic growth in the post-fossil fuel era.

We expect renewables with storage will be the standard solution for power generation in the region, and green hydrogen can even replace oil as an exportable commodity.

What are the challenges facing the development of wind energy in the Mena region? What are Envision’s strengths in addressing those challenges?

Like other regions, integrating wind power into power grids requires new regulations and product solutions. This includes ensuring grid flexibility and stability, as well as integrating new technologies such as battery storage.

Envision works closely with local power consultancies to have our finger on the pulse of the local power market and policy changes, and to adapt our offerings to best serve our clients.

In the case of zero-carbon industrial parks and micro grids, it will put forward new requirements for the connectivity of wind turbines and the control of power grids. Envision has invested a lot of research in new features for a wind turbine grid connection to ensure the turbines are ready for the new system; meanwhile, Envision is also building a micro-grid control system to ensure power grid stability at a system level.

Envision’s energy storage technologies and green hydrogen solutions are designed with the challenges in mind and work perfectly in those situations.

Can you elaborate on your growth strategy for the Mena region?

We are transforming the energy paradigm from its core; that’s where our strategy lies. We are the leader of the energy transformation technology force; at the same time, we keep our finger on the pulse of all the local markets, so that we can bring comprehensive, innovative solutions that are most suited for the region, and help our clients and partners achieve their net-zero goals.

For example, in wind, we work with clients at a very early stage, by providing them with valuable intelligence, when they bid for a power purchase agreement (PPA). We tailor our product offerings to best cater to project needs, and localise our production to be close to our clients and further lower the levelised cost of energy (LCOE). Currently, we are planning a turbine factory in Saudi Arabia with 2GW of annual manufacturing capacity for the local market.

 Dr George Wang, chief technology officer & vice-president, Envision Energy 

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