Contacts: Kelly Smith Hitachi Europe Ltd. +44 1628 585379 kelly.smith@hitachi-eu.com Hitachi awarded key contracts to help design UK’s future energy systems -- Hitachi will work closely with Energy Technologies Institute to assess technology requirements -- London, UK, February, 21, 2013 - Hitachi Europe Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) today announced it will play an integral role in delivering several key pieces of research to help develop a first of its kind smart energy system for the UK.
The UK’s Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has awarded a consortium led by Hitachi Europe Ltd. a project to identify and characterise the technologies required for the successful deployment of a smart energy system. Key Delivery Partners in the consortium include EDF Energy and Imperial Consultants, a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial College London.
The ETI has also named Hitachi Europe Ltd. as prime contractor on a project to identify the ICT infrastructure requirements to enable the smart syst em.
Both projects are due to end by the summer. These research works have been commissioned as part of the ETI’s Smart Systems and Heat (SSH) Programme.
Hitachi joined the ETI as an Associate Member in April 2012 and is also contributing staff to the ETI’s new Smart Systems and Heat office in Birmingham.
Kiyoshi Yamamoto, Managing Director of Hitachi Europe Ltd., said: “Hitachi Europe’s role in these projects as a Key Delivery Partner will see our engineers leverage our knowledge capital and expertise gained from similar engagements across the world in the UK. Our aim is to help ensure the UK is at the front of the pack in developing smart systems that enable an efficient use of energy while meeting consumers’ needs.” Dr Grant Bourhill, ETI’s Smart Systems and Heat Director, said: “The demand for heat and energy services in the future has to be understood and we have to find better ways of managing and delivering heat in a cost-effective, clean and secure manner. These projects are essential to fulfilling our aim of launching the first of a kind smart energy system in the UK.” About Smart Systems and Heat (SSH) Programme T he ETI’s Smart Systems and Heat Programmeis is a £100m project to design and demonstrate an intelligent energy system designed around the future needs of the UK consumer. This project, the ETI’s largest ever, is split into six different work areas, addressing a range of challenges, from enabling technologies and consumer behaviour analysis, to ICT architectures, value management and supply chain management. The programme is scheduled to conclude with commercialisation and deployment of a smart energy system in 2017.
About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd., (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totalled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com About Hitachi Europe Ltd. Hitachi Europe Ltd., headquartered in Maidenhead, UK, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a broad range of informatio n &
telecommunication systems; power and industrial system; rail system; digital media and consumer products; industrial components and equipment; air conditioning and refrigeration systems;
manufacturing systems;
and procurement and sourcing with operations throughout 12 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Hitachi Europe also has three Research and Development laboratories and a Design Centre. For more information, visit http://www.hitachi.eu . For more information on other Hitachi Group companies in Europe, please visit http://www.hitachi.eu/
