QF partner Texas A&M at Qatar and KAHRAMAA host conference on the future of smart grid
Published Mar 27, 2022
Texas A&M University at Qatar and Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) organized and hosted the Third International Conference on Smart Grid and Renewable Energy (SGRE2022) focusing on smart grid and renewable energy resource integration for Qatar and beyond. The conference was also sponsored by Qatar National research Fund (QNRF).
The conference, presented in parallel with the seventh general conference of the Arab Union of Electricity, aimed to generate a long-term smart grid research agenda relating to smart grid and renewable energy. Organizers said that this should lead to a smarter electric grid that is necessary for maintaining rapid economic development, improved social lifestyle and a greener living environment.
H.E. Eng. Essa Bin Hilal Al-Kuwari, KAHRAMAA president and honorary conference chair, opened the conference and said, “I am pleased to note the launch of the 3rd International Conference on Smart Grids and Renewable Energy in parallel with the 7th General Conference of the Arab Electricity Union, organized by Texas A&M University Qatar, to which I extend my sincere thanks, and in cooperation with the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation ‘KAHRAMAA’ as a strategic partner.”
He continued, “This conference constitutes an important framework for discussing the development of medium and long-term strategies to develop the structuring of the electricity sector, improve management and control systems for electricity networks, using smart systems, developing applications for automatic control of remote networks, enhance electrical interconnection steps, as well as search for practical solutions for alternative and renewable energy sources, in addition to promote and support scientific research and training programs in the smart grid and renewable energy and its importance to the environment and sustainable development. Organizing both the 7th Arab union conference of electricity and SGRE events at the same time and location is a valuable opportunity to meet with specialists and interact among them, as the number of [combined] participants reached more than 600.”
The conference brought together leading scientists, researchers and stakeholders from national and international scientific, governmental and industry sectors to engage in discussions of ongoing and future research toward next-generation power electronics, renewable energy technologies and applications, which will hopefully lead to research collaboration opportunities among participants, said Dr. Haitham Abu-Rub, conference general chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar.
“The electric grid is the largest-ever engineering invention,” Abu-Rub said. “To full respond to humanity’s growing needs and expectations, the 130-year-old power grid is being transformed to create the next electric grid paradigm, which is dominated by renewable energies. The future grid is smart, flexible, accessible, reliable and able to respond to the pressing needs of our generation and generations to come. We are grateful to our sponsors and partners for making it possible for us to come together to exchange knowledge and point out the challenges and opportunities in creating the future renewable- energy–dominated smart grid.”
Conference attendees exchanged information on medium- to long-term research and future challenges of smart grid and renewable energies, and engaged in discussions of ongoing and future research toward next-generation smart grid technologies and applications, leading to research collaboration opportunities among participants.
The Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) was a conference partner, and sponsors included Iberdrola, Opal-RT, and three societies of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE): Industrial Electronics Society, Power Electronics Society and Power and Energy Society.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Munir Tag, Senior Program Manager at QNRF, highlighted QNRF’s role in supporting the development of local smart grid infrastructure and advancing cutting-edge research and innovation in this field.
“QNRF has played a major role in supporting this complex and multidisciplinary research filed that combines information and communication technologies, power electronics, energy harnessing and energy storage technologies,” Tag said. “We look forward to transforming the outcome of these projects into business opportunities and impact for societal and economic benefits.”
The conference also showcased the significant achievements of researchers and research units in Qatar in the area of smart grid and renewable energy.
SGRE2022 attracted about 150 attendees from around the world. More than 90 articles were submitted for review, with more than 300 authors from 20 countries.