CIGRE D2 Roundtable
Reflecting on the recent CIGRE D2 Roundtable in Barcelona, which took place on 5 March 2025, I found the discussions to be incredibly insightful and forward-thinking. The event delved into transformative changes in the power industry, information systems, telecommunications, and cybersecurity, emphasising the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing challenges posed by energy transition and digitisation.
By Thuthukani Biyela (ZA), SC D2 SAG and South Africa Representative
Barcelona, Spain
5 March 2025
The event was chaired by Victor Tan, Study Committee (SC) D2 Chair. Key roles included Event Secretary, which was fulfilled by Thuthukani Biyela (ZA), SC D2 SAG and South Africa Representative, Planning Secretary Marcelo Araujo (BR), who is the SC D2 Secretary, and Panel Discussion Moderator Jianing Li (UK), SC D2 United Kingdom Representative.
More than 60 experts from 30 countries participated in this valuable exchange of information and experiences in the areas of SC D2.
Purpose of the Roundtable
The roundtable had three primary objectives:
- Exchange of Knowledge: It provided a platform for sharing experiences and challenges in power systems, telecommunications, and cybersecurity.
- Attracting New Participants: By aligning with the Mobile World Congress, it showcased CIGRE’s work to broader audiences through interactive booths and stands.
- Fostering Collaboration: External organizations such as IEC, ITU, and IEEE were invited to contribute their expertise on digitalization in energy transition, enriching discussions and forming new partnerships.
CIGRE D2 Chair, CIGRE TC Chair and CIGRE Secretary
Key Themes & Insights
Energy Transition & Power Grid Evolution: The shift toward Power Grid 2.0 was highlighted as essential for accommodating distributed energy resources (DER) and dynamic market changes. Digitisation and data transmission were identified as critical components for achieving grid stability.
AI’s Impact on Energy Demand: The exponential growth of AI was discussed, particularly its significant energy consumption in data centres. While AI offers transformative benefits, its energy-intensive nature poses challenges to climate goals, necessitating responsible usage.
Global Challenges in Energy Systems: Across regions, common challenges emerged in adapting to energy transitions. Africa faces inadequate electrification, rising energy costs, intermittent DERs, and a need for significant investment to modernize grid infrastructure while embedding sustainability principles. Australia is grappling with insufficient EV charging infrastructure, cybersecurity threats tied to climate change impacts like bushfires, and spectrum limitations for 5G adoption. Meanwhile, China’s bottlenecks in grid modernisation were linked to structural inefficiencies in power supply systems despite leveraging AI for real-time grid management. In Europe, countries like Belgium and Germany are focusing on Industrial IoT applications for predictive maintenance but face hurdles in securing private networks and physical data centres for substation protection.
Telecommunications Infrastructure: Discussions revolved around transitioning from legacy systems like SDH to advanced technologies such as advanced optical technologies, MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching), and 5G networks to support high-speed communication needs for modern grids.
Cybersecurity & Resilience: Across regions, cybersecurity was identified as a critical concern due to increasing threats from digitisation. Solutions such as private networks, spectrum sharing, satellite communication, and time synchronization were explored to enhance grid reliability.
The CIGRE members delivered a comprehensive series of presentations on the topics outlined above. The table below provides a detailed overview of the presenters and the specific topics they addressed.
Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|
Opening Speech | Victor Tan, CIGRE SC D2 Chair |
Overview of CIGRE and our Vision | Philippe Adam, CIGRE Secretary General |
Technical focus in CIGRE and our strategic technical direction | Rannveig Loken, CIGRE Technical Council Chair |
AI usage –issues, challenges and | AG 01 Secretary - Rachel Berryman |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Spain | SC D2 Member from Spain - Juan Ramon |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Canada | SC D2 Member from Canada - Essi |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in South Africa | SC D2 Member from South Africa - |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Australia | SC D2 Member from Australia - |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for the power industry on TC 57 topics related to SC D2 | SC D2 IEC Liaison, Member of AG D2.01 - Eric Lambert |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Brazil | SC D2 Member from Brazil - |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in UK | SC D2 Member from UK - Jianing Li |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in China | SC D2 Member from China - David Sun |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Serbia | SC D2 Member from Serbia - |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Sweden | SC D2 Member from Sweden - Mats Uhlin |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Belgium | SC D2 Member from Belgium - |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Jordan | SC D2 Member from Jordan - Ahmad Bataineh |
Issues, challenges and opportunities for utilities' information system, telecoms, and cybersecurity in Austria | SC D2 Member from Austria - Herwig Klima |
Summary of the results of RSE research project 22-24, covering cybersecurity in Italian regulations, mature and innovative technologies | AG 02 Convener - Giovanna Dondossola |
Future Work - Green Book, Active WGs | Victor Tan, CIGRE SC D2 Chair |
Electric Power Digitalization and Target communication network | SC D2 Member from China - David Sun |
Electrical power communication technology standard progress | Bert Klaps, ITU-T Standard Expert |
CIGRE D2 China Construction Experience Sharing | SC D2 Additional Regular Member - Zhu Chaoyang |
Panel Discussion Highlights
Roundtable Panel
The panellists shared insights on several themes:
Vision for Power Grid Communication Infrastructure: Standardisation, interoperability, and cybersecurity were deemed essential for future development.
Resilient Networks: High-speed, low-latency networks integrating technologies like 5G, optical data communication, IoT, and Wi-Fi are crucial for seamless data transmission across grids.
Challenges & Innovations: Natural disasters, cybersecurity threats, and predictive maintenance needs were identified as major hurdles. Satellite communication and hybrid cloud solutions emerged as potential innovations to address these issues.
Reflections
The roundtable underscored the interconnectedness of energy systems with advancements in telecommunications and cybersecurity technologies. It was inspiring to see how regions worldwide are tackling these challenges with innovative approaches tailored to their unique circumstances.
I was particularly impressed by the global focus on sustainability, despite significant challenges, and the innovative use of technologies like AI for real-time grid management—a testament to the power of technology when applied thoughtfully.
Closing Thoughts
This event reinforced the importance of global collaboration in addressing complex issues at the intersection of energy systems and technology. The insights gained here will undoubtedly shape strategies for building resilient grids that can adapt to future demands while prioritising sustainability.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the CIGRE SC D2 Chinese National Committee for their invaluable support in making this event a success.
Organising Committee
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