Innovation at Siemens Energy

Siemens Energy is working on high-temperature heat pumps, electrified industrial heat supply, turbo heaters, rotating olefin crackers, and industrial waste heat recovery.

Developing digital twins to enable decarbonized plant operations, considering energy management, system reliability, and potentially autonomous operation.

The focus here is on grid digitalization, disruptive grid elements, high-energy-density energy systems, and hybrid grids.

In general, Siemens Energy is investing in innovative R&D along the following two main themes:

CO2-free energy technologies: Siemens Energy is committed to developing technologies that support the transition to a low-carbon economy. This includes advancements in electrolyzer product lines to boost sales and support decarbonization efforts.

Service and new growth fields: The company is enhancing its service capabilities and exploring new growth opportunities. This involves optimizing the use of its extensive service potential and improving the competitiveness of current products through stringent quality criteria.

Siemens Energy is focusing its innovative activities to five focus fields:

Decarbonized heat and industrial processes: Siemens Energy is working on high-temperature heat pumps, electrified industrial heat supply, turbo heaters, rotating olefin crackers, and industrial waste heat recovery.

Carbon and product circularity: This includes Power-to-X technologies with direct air capture of CO2 from the air and CO2 electrolysis, as well as eco-resilient technologies and methods.

Resilient grids and reliability: The focus here is on grid digitalization, disruptive grid elements, high-energy-density energy systems, and hybrid grids.

Condition-based service interventions: Developing digital twins to enable decarbonized plant operations, considering energy management, system reliability, and potentially autonomous operation.

24/7 carbon-free energy supply: This involves multi-day energy storage combined with energy management and forecasting systems.

Siemens Energy has created a global innovation setup to drive energy transition all over the globe. So called Innovation Centers in Europe (Berlin), China (Shenzhen), UAE (Abu Dhabi) and the US (Orlando) are developing new technologies within the focus fields of action and are developing an innovation ecosystem jointly with partners from academia, research and industry.

Siemens Energy is constantly collecting ideas from its employees via an innovation collaboration platform called Innovation Orbit where idea campaigns are being published with different focuses (e.g., region- or organization-specific).

Siemens Energy is collaborating with external partners on innovation projects by leveraging the Siemens Energy Innovation ecosystem:

• Academia & Research

Siemens Energy collaborates with academic institutions and research organizations to drive innovation. For instance, they work with universities on research projects related to energy efficiency and sustainability. These projects can for instance be funded by Government grants.

• Start-ups

Via Siemens Energy Ventures SE is collaborating with upcoming startups to drive innovative technologies and solutions.

• Industry Companies

Siemens Energy forms long-term alliances with other companies to co-develop technologies and solutions.

Two current examples how innovative technologies are being developed and brought to reality are the following:

Direct Air Capture (DAC): Siemens Energy has entered into a joint development agreement with Saudi Aramco to develop a Direct Air Capture (DAC) demonstration unit, which was delivered in the fiscal year 2024 and is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study for a larger DAC pilot plant in Saudi Arabia is planned to be realized in the fiscal year 2025. The DAC technology involves extracting CO2 directly from the ambient air using chemical processes, which can then be stored or utilized to combat climate change.

Electric Heater: Industrial process heat is responsible for over 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Siemens Energy is developing a cost-effective, highly efficient alternative for processing heat that generates no local emissions. At the same time, the team is designing a fully scaled 7.5 MW pilot plant of an electric heater operated with molten salt. This pilot project, developed in collaboration with our utility partner AES, is expected to begin testing in the summer of 2025 and validate the conversion of a 500 MW coal-fired power plant from AES to 100% green electricity.

Innovation is a corporate organization specifically installed and dedicated to driving innovation across the whole company.

Siemens Energy is constantly innovating to improve existing products and services, and to develop new products that all have a positive impact on the carbon footprint of Siemens Energy’s customers.

With a rapidly changing energy landscape and the need for that change being driven by the energy transition, Innovation will play a pivotal role in Siemens Energy's future growth by driving advancements in technology, improving efficiency, and enabling the company to meet the evolving needs of the energy sector.

Our innovation process at Siemens Energy is both systematic and creative. We focus on delivering impact through research and development and collaboration with partners. Our goal is to move fast to assess the value of innovative solutions to turn them into reality.

Siemens Energy is interested in collaborating with potential suppliers, R&D partners, universities, inventors and Startups along with many others.