Insight_PDF For Web

Issue 11 | April 2018 

Insight 

The innovation magazine 

from Siemens India 

Prototype Robot 

Solves Problems without 

Programming 

Pg. 6 

siemens.co.in

Foreword 

Dear Valued Customer 

As Business leaders, we are often challenged to keep pace with change, to keep our organisations future-ready and to 

also be nimble-footed in the marketplace. While long-term strategic planning is still critical, it has become imperative 

that we revisit it regularly. I believe that disruptors will be companies we have not heard of so far. 

At Siemens, which we consider to be a 170-year old startup, Innovation is the engine for growth. We firmly believe 

that giving our customers a competitive advantage through innovations, will help them build sustainable businesses. 

This magazine is but another step in that direction, where we choose relevant and ground-breaking applications of 

technology from around the Siemens world that can add value to your businesses, and possibly also create new lines 

of business for you. We will also be showcasing some of these at the upcoming “Innovation Day” to be held in Mumbai 

on 10.05.2018, to which you will be receiving your invitation shortly. We look forward to meeting you there! 

In the interim, please do reach 

out to your Siemens Key 

Account / Vertical Market 

Manager, or to Krishnakumar – 

our Chief Customer Officer 

(r.krishnakumar@siemens.com) 

– should you wish to start a 

conversation with us on any 

of these topics. 

On behalf of my Executive 

Management Team, I thank 

you for the trust reposed in us. 

We also thank you for the 

warm feedback to “Insight”, do 

keep writing in to us. 

Christian Rummel 

CFO 

Ashish Bhat 

Head, 

Digital Factory 

Bhaskar Mandal 

Head, 

Process Industries & Drives 

Devidas Kulkarni 

Head, 

Building Technologies 

Warm regards, 

Harald Griem 

Head, 

Energy Management 

Prashant Jain 

Head, 

Power Generation Services 

Gerd Deusser 

Head, 

Power & Gas 

Tilakraj Seth 

Head, 

Mobility 

Sunil Mathur 

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer 

Siemens Limited 

2

Editorial 

Dear Customer 

Greetings from Siemens, and welcome to the eleventh edition of Siemens INSIGHT, our Innovation and Technology 

magazine designed exclusively for you. This edition brings to the fore multiple key technologies for Sustainability, 

Manufacturing and E-vehicles – all very relevant topics for us in India today. 

This edition starts with a look at something which our planet really needs - a unique solution for De-carbonization, using 

a combination of Siemens’ Electrolysis process and our customer Evonik’s chemical expertise to convert Carbon Dioxide 

into Specialty Plastics and Ethylene. Next, we look at a solution which may be relevant for India, given our expertise in 

custom engineering and manufacturing – robots that can program themselves based on inputs from software like 

CAD/CAM. This removes the need for extensive programming, and is ideal for small-batch manufacturing situations for 

all industries, including SMEs. With the IoT revolution comes the requirement for very secure and large Data Centers – 

and we look at a very modern Data Center that we have built in Munich, which is designed for the lowest PUE, along 

with the highest level of safety and security standards. 

We move on to look at a new device ‘SICAM Q 200’ that will become essential for our Power Grids, considering the 

increasing composition of Renewable Energy in our overall energy mix. This device helps improve the power quality of 

the grid, saves energy and prevents blackouts as well. Next is an article on an efficient yet inexpensive solution to 

provide multiple charging points for e-vehicles within a city, by converting streetlights (Lamp-posts) into charging 

stations. With the focus and thrust in India for moving to electric passenger vehicles by 2030, and the first order for 

10,000 cars already placed by EESL, this might just be the ideal and cost-effective solution for our cities. 

This is followed by a few key events at Siemens – Signing of a charter for Cybersecurity in Munich with Industry partners, 

a “Green Corridor” in Kolkata that was enabled using our Automation, inauguration of our roof-top solar plant at Kalwa 

near Mumbai, commissioning of an MV Lab for the Indian Navy at Jamnagar and the launch of our own Solar Inverter. 

We also look at the “In Retrospect” section showcasing a few innovations from the past, all of which became part of our 

lives. We hope that in a similar manner, some of innovations covered in this edition will replicate that success in the 

future. 

Kindly reach out to your Siemens Key Account or Vertical Market Manager, or to me (r.krishnakumar@siemens.com) if 

you would like to evaluate any of these further. We shall take it from there onwards. 

The globally renowned Siemens Innovation Day is coming to India (Mumbai) in May, after successful debuts in Germany, 

USA and China. We look forward to meeting you there. 

Warm regards, 

Krishnakumar Ramanathan 

Head – Key Accounts, Vertical Markets & 

Chief Customer Officer 

Siemens Limited 

r.krishnakumar@siemens.com 

3

Materials Science and Processing 

Putting Carbon Dioxide to Work 

With its reputation as a top greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide doesn’t have a very positive 

image. However, not all the news is bad. In two government-funded projects that Siemens 

is conducting in cooperation with German chemical company Evonik, researchers are using 

CO2 to produce valuable basic and specialty chemicals for industry. The scientists expect to 

gain important insights that will enable them to gradually implement electrochemical 

synthesis processes for large-scale industrial applications. 

Rheticus: Converting CO2 into Specialty Chemicals 

In January Siemens and Evonik 

presented a new joint research 

project called Rheticus. In the 

project, approximately 20 

experts from both companies 

are working to generate 

specialty chemicals from CO2. 

The first phase of the project 

will end in 2019, and plans call 

for the completion of an initial 

test facility at Evonik’s 

headquarters in northwestern 

Germany two years later. 

How will the process 

envisioned by the two 

companies work? In the first 

step, a Siemens electrolyzer 

uses energy from renewable 

sources to convert carbon 

dioxide and water into metabolizable 

carbon monoxide (CO). Next, a 

fermentation process from Evonik very 

selectively converts the gases containing 

CO into valuable substances with the help 

of specialized microorganisms. The end 

products are chemicals such as butanol 

and hexanol, both of which are feedstocks 

for products such as specialty plastics and 

food additives. 

“We are operating experimental setups,” 

says Günter Schmid, who is responsible 

for electrolyzers at Siemens Corporate 

Technology. “This is where we can test 

and optimize our electrolysis cells and gas 

diffusion electrodes.” The aim of the 

project is to scale the technology from lab 

dimensions to those of a testing facility by 

2021. The Rheticus facility is expected to 

have a production capacity of 10 to 20 

tons per year. This would set the stage for 

building an industrial plant with a 

production capacity of up to 20,000 tons 

of butanol or hexanol per year. “We’re also 

discussing the possible production of 

other specialty chemicals or even fuels,” 

Schmidt adds. Depending on the needs of 

future customers, the dimensions of the 

Rheticus platform could also be expanded. 

Rheticus is part of the Copernicus Initiative 

for Germany’s energy transition. The 

initiative is designed to find new solutions 

for converting the country’s energy supply 

system. The German Federal Ministry of 

Education and Research (BMBF) is 

providing Rheticus with €2.8 million in 

funding. 

Siemens researchers in the Rheticus research project are working to generate specialty chemicals from carbon dioxide. Elena Volkova is 

preparing electrodes, a cell, and a set of operating parameters for a new series of tests. 

4

eEthylene: CO2-neutral Production 

In the government-funded 

eEthylen project, experts from 

Siemens are working together 

with scientists from Evonik, 

Berlin Technical University, 

Ruhr University Bochum, and 

the Helmholtz Institute 

Erlangen-Nuremberg to study 

how carbon dioxide can be 

converted into ethylene. “We 

are convinced that not only will 

CO2 help to produce coveted materials, 

but that it will also open up new business 

opportunities for Siemens,” says Dan 

Taroata, a project manager at Siemens, 

the consortium’s leader. 

The researchers are using electricity in a 

direct, single-stage electrolysis system to 

synthesize ethylene out of carbon dioxide 

and water. Their work focuses on 

electrocatalysts because these materials 

can charge inert CO2 with energy-rich 

electrons in order to create ethylene. If 

the electrons cluster in the surrounding 

water instead, the process creates 

hydrogen. That’s why the catalyst plays a 

decisive role in the method’s success. 

However, it is a great technological 

challenge to find a stable cupriferous 

electrode for the production of ethylene. 

Siemens researchers in the Rheticus research project are working to generate specialty chemicals from carbon dioxide. Elena Volkova is 

preparing electrodes, a cell, and a set of operating parameters for a new series of tests. 

Electrolyzers: A Core Area of Expertise at Siemens 

For the CO2-to-ethylene 

production process, Siemens is 

contributing a system from one 

of its key areas of expertise: an 

electrolysis facility for 

continuous operation. It is 

based on electrolyzers for 

hydrogen production, which 

are part of the company’s current product 

range. 

The three-year project, which was 

launched in October 2016, is receiving 

funding from the German Ministry of 

Education and Research and is part of the 

CO2Plus research initiative for the use of 

CO2 to broaden the production base for 

raw materials. Siemens is the leader of the 

project consortium. With a total budget of 

€2.9 million, the eEthylen project could 

revolutionize ethylene production. Its goal 

is to find out how carbon dioxide can be 

efficiently converted into ethylene. 

Economical Ethylene Production 

Ethylene is currently used in a 

wide variety of ways. For one 

thing, it is the feedstock for the 

production of polyethylene, 

polyvinylchloride, and 

polyester. As such, it is 

contained in most plastics. 

Ethylene also helps to make 

fruits and vegetables ripen at 

precisely the right time — an 

important application in a world of 

globalized food-supply chains. 

If the electrolytic production process can 

be optimized, it might be able to compete 

with the conventional manufacturing 

method. In addition to the fact that the 

process would use atmospheric CO2 and 

thus be desirable from an environmental 

perspective, it would also be worth 

pursuing from a business point of view. 

That’s because one ton of ethylene costs 

between €850 and €1,200 — a hefty sum, 

considering that around 180 million tons 

are used annually worldwide. 

• Ulrich Kreutzer 

Picture credits: Evonik 

Taken from Pictures of the Future, the Siemens 

Magazine for Research and Innovation 

For more information, 

write to insight.in@siemens.com 

5

The Future of Manufacturing 

Prototype Robot Solves Problems 

without Programming 

How can a robot assemble something without first being programmed to do so? Put simply, the robot gets the information on how to 

manufacture an object from the associated software model. 

With the help of artificial intelligence, researchers at Siemens have developed a two-armed 

robot that can manufacture products without having to be programmed. In a glimpse of the 

future of automated production, the robot’s arms autonomously divide tasks and work 

together as one. 

A click is heard as one hand 

snaps a gray part into place on 

a rail. The hand withdraws and 

grasps another component, this 

time passing it to a second 

hand to achieve the best 

possible positioning, as the two 

extremities coordinate their movement to 

assemble part of a control cabinet. Part of 

a two-armed robot, the collaborative 

activity of the hands was recently 

demonstrated at Siemens Corporate 

Technology (CT) in Munich, the company’s 

global research unit. The robotic system is 

nothing less than a crucial element in the 

future of manufacturing — a future in 

which entire factories will control 

themselves. 

Making Batch Size 1 Economical 

To some extent, this is already 

possible in mass production, as 

demonstrated, for example, by 

Siemens’ showcase plant in 

Amberg, Germany. The factory 

produces Simatic 

programmable logic controls — 

with a 75 percent degree of 

automation and 99.99885 

percent quality. However, these 

parts are manufactured in large 

batches. Each year, 12 million 

Simatic controls are shipped to 

over 60,000 customers around 

the world. As a result, the 

future has already become a 

reality here for high production 

volumes. The ability to perform 

tasks autonomously – rather 

than automatically – is exactly 

what’s needed for 

manufacturers of smaller 

batches and those who 

produce many different 

product variants in response to growing 

demand for customized products. 

Conventional automation hasn’t yet been 

profitable at this level, which is sometimes 

referred to as “batch size 1.” 

A team of Siemens Corporate Technology 

headed by Kai Wurm and Georg von 

Wichert, who research autonomous 

systems at Siemens, managed to solve 

this problem. “Our two-armed smart 

prototype illustrates that economical 

batch size 1 production is possible,” says 

Wurm. “In the future, robots will no longer 

have to be expensively programmed in a 

time-consuming manner with pages of 

code that provide them with a fixed 

procedure for assembling parts. We will 

only have to specify the task and the 

system will then automatically translate 

these specifications into a program.” 

Experts in the field of autonomous systems: Kai Wurm (centre) and Georg von Wichert (right) 

from Siemens Corporate Technology observe the behavior generated by the machine. 

6

Transitioning to Semantic Information 

“We simply tell the robot to 

attach a specific component to 

the mounting rail,” says Wurm. 

“And that’s exactly what it 

does.” On a small scale, this 

task describes what batch size 1 

is all about. It involves 

manufacturing or assembling a 

product in a wide variety of 

variants that contain different 

components. The robot gets 

the information on how to 

manufacture a product from an 

associated software model. 

Although this CAD/CAM 

(Computer Aided Design and 

Manufacturing) model is 

incomprehensible for 

conventional robots, the new 

prototype can understand such 

models. In a sense, it is as if the 

robot can understand different 

languages, thus eliminating the 

need to program its 

movements and processes. 

To do this, the prototype 

successively divides tasks, such 

as the general command 

“assemble,” from the software 

construction plan into doable 

units, such as “pick” and “hand 

over” until it finally moves an 

arm or opens its grippers. The 

robot itself also decides which 

task each arm should perform. 

To make this possible, the 

developers have enabled the 

prototype to raise information 

from the product development 

software to a semantic level. 

“Product parts and process 

information are semantically 

converted into ontologies and 

knowledge graphs,” says Wurm. 

“This makes implicit information 

explicit. Until now the 

A great objective: With their research, Georg Wichert (left) and Kai Wurm have demonstrated that 

economical batch size 1 production is possible. 

things that people simply know from 

experience when they are told to snap 

component X onto rail Y have had to be 

taught to robots in the form of code. 

However, our prototype analyzes the 

problem by itself and finds a corresponding 

solution.” 

In the case of Siemens’ prototype 

demonstrator, one can witness this 

process in a vastly simplified form on a 

monitor to the right of the robot arms. 

The monitor displays two rows of color 

tiles, each of which bears words such as 

“assemble” (left-hand column) and “pick” 

(right-hand column). These tiles gradually 

move upward in a manner similar to 

scrolling down a long webpage. The tiles 

depict each assembly step. On the 

monitor to the left, the demonstrator 

shows the information that the robot 

arms receive at the beginning of a 

production process. This information 

consists of a 3D depiction of the 

surrounding area and the objects it 

contains. Above the demonstrator are two 

more screens that show what the robot 

arms are currently seeing through their 

integrated cameras. 

Toward Self-Correcting Systems 

Siemens Corporate Technologies’ 

prototype system can also 

correct faults without having to 

be told beforehand that this is 

an option. If a part slips, for 

example, one of its arms will 

find the part as long as it is 

within its camera’s field of 

vision. The arm will then pick 

up the component and adjust 

all of its subsequent movements 

so that it can still install 

it correctly. And if the component 

needs to be snapped into 

place on the other side of an 

assembly, the arm will hand the component 

to its counterpart. These groundbreaking 

developments are part of the 

Company Core Technology (CCT) Future 

of Automation program. CCTs enable 

Siemens to focus on crucial fields of 

innovation such as digital twins, artificial 

intelligence, and additive manufacturing. 

Naturally, assembling control cabinets is 

just the beginning. Siemens developers 

envision self-organizing production 

facilities that responds to autonomously 

changing production requirements, 

continuously optimize their operations, 

and are populated by robots that assist 

one another. Such facilities would be a 

revolutionary step – essentially systems 

that feed themselves with design data, 

corrects faults, and calculates all movements 

and actions on their own. “There 

are many other researchers who are trying 

to solve this problem. But there is nothing 

comparable to what we have developed 

on the market yet,” says Wurm. 

• Sandra Zistl 





7

IT Security 

Munich’s Fort Knox 

Intellectual property, highly classified data – the company’s ‘golden nuggets,’ are stored in the EAGLE DataCenter. But this Center is more than a place 

to store data – it is also where value is created; that’s because data can be refined into actionable information and a competitive advantage. 

Data are a company’s most important asset – particularly today with the Industrial Internet of 

Things. When it comes to this important resource, Siemens doesn’t leave anything to chance. 

The company operates its own highly secure data center – the EAGLE DataCenter. The site in 

Munich is not only a model of best practice, but also a showcase for Siemens Building 

Technologies. 

What’s your most valuable 

possession? Your grandmother’s 

jewelry? A watch you 

received for graduation? Or an 

album of family photos? 

Whatever it may be, it is 

certainly in a safe place. But in 

the world of the Industrial 

Golden nuggets 

Internet of Things, perhaps the most 

valuable asset is data. And just like your 

prized personal possessions, it too must 

be kept safe, which means that it will be 

stored in a data center. 

But data centers are more than a place to 

store data – they are also where value is 

created; that’s because data can be 

refined into actionable information and a 

competitive advantage. Indeed, data 

centers are considered to be the new 

factories of the 21st century. Siemens’ 

EAGLE DataCenter is one such factory. But 

so strategic is its significance that it is 

spread across four sites worldwide. 

“Intellectual property, highly 

classified data – the company’s 

‘golden nuggets,’ if you will – 

are stored in the EAGLE 

DataCenter,” says Uli Kohler 

from the EAGLE DataCenter. 

Welcome to the site in Munich, 

which is housed in a 

non-descript building. On the 

outside, there’s no indication of 

what the building holds – no 

need to attract undue 

attention. The building features 

the latest in intrusion 

technologies. Access to its servers is 

reserved for a select group of specialists. 

To enter, an employee first has to hold a 

special token over a reader, then the palm 

of his or her hand is scanned. If storage 

media has to be replaced, the old discs are 

destroyed on the spot. No storage media 

ever leaves the data center in one piece. 

Intrusion protection is only one side of the 

coin for keeping data safe. The other very 

real danger is fire. The risk of fire is high 

considering the heavy power loads in data 

centers, the quantities of combustible 

materials, extensive cabling, and the high 

air velocity caused by cooling systems. 

And fires do happen: 6 percent of 

infrastructure failures in data centers are 

related to fire. At the EAGLE DataCenter, 

an early warning smoke detection alarm 

(VESDA) system is in place. If the alarm is 

triggered, gas is pumped into the building 

to reduce the oxygen content so that the 

fire is put out on the spot. “The gas poses 

no danger for people in the building,” 

notes Kohler. The system also 

automatically notifies the local fire 

department. 

8

One-hundred percent uptime 

Safety and security are one 

aspect of operating a data 

center. The other is uptime. 

“Our internal goal is 100 

percent uptime. In the five 

years the EAGLE DataCenter in 

Munich has been open, we’ve 

achieved that,” says Kohler. 

Here, redundancy is the 

watchword, and it applies to 

systems ranging from 

air-conditioning components to 

those managing the facility’s 

power supply. For example, if the facility’s 

electricity were to be cut off, a diesel 

engine would spring to life to supply the 

necessary power. The data center can 

operate for 48 hours on a tank of fuel. 

Always up means electricity is constantly 

flowing into the data center. In fact, 

worldwide, data centers are responsible 

for 1.5 to 2 percent of all energy demand. 

But the Munich site is an exception, as its 

power comes from renewable sources and 

built-in efficiency. For instance, waste 

heat from the servers contributes to 

heating the building in the winter. 

The building itself was built to use as little 

energy as possible; for instance, it is 

equipped with a raised floor in the server 

rooms, which facilitates low-energy 

air-conditioning equipment. The servers 

are also configured so that energy 

consumption is as low as possible. These 

efforts have helped contribute to the data 

center’s internationally recognized LEED 

Gold certification, which is issued by the 

U.S Green Building Council. 

Guardians of highly classified data: Christian Böhm (left) and Uli Kohler from the EAGLE DataCenter 

Model of excellence 

“The EAGLE facility is Siemens 

Building Technologies’ top 

reference site for its data center 

expertise,” comments Kohler. 

Wherever possible, Siemens 

technologies were installed. 

The result is a living example of 

what Siemens is capable of – 

from state-of-the-art security to 

high uptime and energy 

efficiency. 

To safeguard its flagship status, 

the facility is continuously 

evolving. “We do everything 

possible to keep our power consumption 

as low as possible. We therefore trace our 

power usage effectiveness (PUE) to ensure 

that our supporting systems are efficient. 

That means that when it is commercially 

reasonable to do so, we replace hardware 

with more energy efficient systems,” says 

Kohler. The team also employs high 

virtualization rates to make the most of 

existing servers. 

Everyday, new data is added to Siemens’ 

treasure trove – data that is essential to 

the company’s operations as well as those 

of its customers. Today, all of Siemens’ 

EAGLE DataCenters collectively hold 8 

Petabytes of data – that’s 8,000 Terabytes. 

The majority of the data is in the Munich 

facility, which now holds around 6 

Petabytes. When it can hold no more, 

there’s room to construct a twin facility at 

the site. That will provide more space for 

one of the prized possessions of the 21st 

century: data. 

• Alexander Chavez 





9

Power Transmission 

Device Spots Vulnerabilities 

in Power Grids 

Power grid providers as well as industrial enterprises both benefit from better grid monitoring. 

A new power analyzer monitors and analyzes the power grid, helps prevent downtimes and 

avoid damage to equipment, especially when there is a high proportion of energy generated 

from renewable sources. 

Siemens experts estimate that 

blackouts cause approximately 

€150 billion in damage 

worldwide every year when 

production or IT is down. In 

Germany, downtimes are very 

short, an average of only 

approximately twelve minutes 

per year. But conditions are 

changing, due to the high 

proportion of renewable energy 

in the grid. In the past, the 

supply quality – that is, the 

constant voltage quality, 

availability and quality of 

service – was established by 

the equilibrium between power 

generation and consumption. 

But as the amount of energy 

produced from renewable sources 

increases, significant voltage fluctuations 

and uneven availability may arise. 

Modern technology also impairs grid 

quality. Devices that consume highly 

variable amounts of energy produce 

harmonics and thus interfere with 

sensitive electronics. An example of such 

a nonlinear consumer is a 

frequency-controlled drive, which is a 

motor that adjusts its power as demand 

changes. Many industrial enterprises use 

this technology to make their production 

processes more energy-efficient. 

However, if they operate sensitive plants 

at the same time, they have to secure the 

quality in their power grids. 

With these considerations in mind, 

Siemens has developed a new power 

analyzer. The device gives grid operators 

and industrial enterprises a solution that 

allows them to correctly evaluate 

changing loads on power grids. To 

accomplish this, data regarding electrical 

variables, such as current, voltage, 

frequency and power as well as 

harmonics, need to be collected in the 

grid. Based on the results of such an 

analysis, operators can decide on the best 

way to ensure supply quality. After all, 

poor power quality not only burdens 

equipment, but a failure can shut down 

factories, damage plants and cut off 

households from the power supply. Good 

supply quality, on the other hand, reduces 

downtimes and increases the life of 

devices on the power grid. 

10

Locating disturbances, identifying energy savings potential 

Siemens’ Sicam Q200 power 

analyzer measures all important 

parameters for power quality, 

analyzes them and visualizes 

the results. When installed at 

key points in power distribution 

stations, transfer points, 

feeders for industrial plants, 

industrial grids, etc. the device 

detects current, power, 

voltage, frequency and 

harmonics. It identifies 

disturbances and can detect 

short circuits and nonlinear 

consumers based on 

measurements of current. The 

device also indicates whether 

and where damage has 

occurred. Operators can use the 

resulting data to decide 

whether to preventively replace 

a device or component. 

provides detailed insights into energy 

consumption on the grid and thus 

identifies savings potential. 

The power analyzer displays measured 

values directly on the device and transmits 

them to a computer in the user’s energy 

automation or SCADA system. The device 

also stores measured values for additional 

analyses and can transmit long-term data 

and certain events to a higher level 

control center for further analysis. 

The power analyzer is operated via an 

integrated web server, which saves 

money, since no additional software is 

needed for configuration or data 

evaluation. 

• Christine Rüth 





Sicam Q200 detects the power 

and corresponding phase angle 

of harmonics. These variables 

make it possible to determine 

the precise nonlinear consumer 

that is distorting a current. 

Active filters can then be 

installed to compensate for the 

harmonics. Thanks to its power 

measurements, the power 

analyzer also helps save 

energy. Measured data 

The Sicam Q200 power analyzer measures all important parameters for power quality, analyzes 

them and visualizes the results. In addition it can be interfaced with energy management 

devices. 

11

#InnodayIndia 

Coming soon to India 

Innovation Day 

Unlock the potential 

Continuing with a successful series of events in 

Germany, USA & China, Innovation Day now comes to 

India to unlock the potential with digitalization. 

Dr. Roland Busch, Chief Technology Officer and 

Member of the Managing Board, Siemens AG will be 

hosting this Innovation Day. 

Experience innovation through our interactive 

exhibits and lab sessions. 

Date : Thursday, May 10, 2018 

Venue : Hotel Trident, Mumbai 

Time : 12 noon onwards

Electric Mobility 

Converting Street Lamps into 

Charging Stations 

At the core of the Ubitricity solution is a mobile electricity meter. Integrated into an intelligent charging cable with secure mobile 

communication, it automatically activates charging processes, records the consumption data for each specific vehicle, and sends these for billing 

to an energy data platform. The basis for this is an electricity contract that is concluded for the cable. 

A Berlin-based startup has developed technology that enables street lamps to be easily 

converted into charging stations for electric vehicles. Siemens has invested in this promising, 

new technology. 

The International Energy 

Agency (IEA) would like to see 

100 million electric cars on the 

road worldwide by 2030. The 

idea is to stay on course to 

achieving the goals of the Paris 

climate accord. In addition, the 

IEA wants one fifth of all road 

vehicles, including motorcycles, 

buses and trucks, to run on 

batteries by then. The Paris city 

council might even ban 

vehicles with combustion 

engines from entering the city 

from 2030 on. In addition, also 

by 2030, the European Union is 

planning to have 30 percent of 

all new vehicles equipped with 

electric or other alternative 

drive systems. 

into charging times will drive off with fully 

charged batteries and help spread the use 

of renewable energies, because their cars 

will become energy storage devices. 

Unless they are making a long trip, drivers 

will then rarely have to stop at quick 

charging stations to rapidly recharge their 

vehicles’ batteries. 

Ubitricity, a young company based in 

Berlin, Germany, has developed a 

technology that enables drivers to obtain 

electricity generated from renewable 

resources from the grid at almost any 

location. What’s more, it could turn 

vehicles into smart storage devices while 

they are connected to the grid. In view of 

this, Siemens has now bought an interest 

in Ubitricity, because the startup’s 

technology plugs into a number of 

Siemens’ business activities at the 

interface between electrification, digital 

systems, and smart grids. 

Clearly, electric mobility is on a 

roll. However, to make the 

vision of greenhouse-gas-free 

transportation a reality, we 

need not only enough 

renewably-generated electricity 

in the grid but also charging 

stations in the right places — 

especially where vehicles park 

for long periods – in other 

words, at work and at home. 

People who turn parking times 

In contrast to other charging cables, a mobile, calibrated electricity meter and SIM card is 

integrated into the SmartCable. Thanks to it an electricity contract can be closed for the cable, 

which would only be possible for the whole household other- wise. 

14

A Smart Technology with a Mobile Electricity Contract 

At its heart, Ubitricity’s 

technology encompasses three 

elements: a smart electric 

meter that is incorporated into 

the charging cable and handles 

battery charging billing, a 

mobile electricity contract that 

is linked to the charging cable, 

and power sockets that can be 

installed anywhere — 

essentially creating docking 

stations to the grid. Known as 

SimpleSockets, these outlets 

can be inexpensively installed 

in parking garages, residential 

and commercial buildings, and 

existing infrastructure systems 

such as street lamps. 

Drivers merely need to park 

next to such street lamps and 

use the mobile “tap” to 

purchase electricity that is then 

directly billed. 

In a pilot project, SimpleSockets 

were installed in dozens of 

street lamps in several London 

boroughs. Drivers merely need 

to park next to such street 

lamps and use the mobile “tap” 

to purchase electricity that is 

then directly billed. It takes only 

half an hour and around 

€1,000 to convert a street lamp 

— a fraction of what it costs in 

time and money to install a 

separate charging station. 

After a smart cable is inserted 

into the socket, it identifies the 

charging point and turns on the 

Since part of the technology that is usually installed in charging stations is already integrated 

into the charging cable, the charging points are correspondingly cheap and small. The latter fact 

allows, for example, affordable installations in real estate. 

power. Once the charging process has 

been completed, the associated data is 

transmitted to Ubitricity via a secure 

mobile communications link. The 

company then forwards the data to 

mobile power suppliers, who bill the users 

each month for the electricity they have 

consumed. “Ideally, the smart charging 

cable will make the charging of electric 

cars as easy as using a smartphone,” 

explains Frank Pawlitschek, CEO and 

co-founder of Ubitricity. 

Because power sockets can be 

inexpensively installed in walls and street 

lamps and produce almost no ongoing 

costs, they are ideal for large structures 

such as lampposts. “At least one to two 

percent of the ten million street lamps in 

Germany could be converted 

immediately,” says Pawlitschek. “Thus we 

could enable the drivers who recharge at 

street lamps to quickly and easily get what 

they urgently need when they purchase 

an electric vehicle: an inexpensive way to 

recharge batteries right outside their front 

doors.” The technology could also provide 

other benefits in the future, because the 

cables can control the charging processes 

in line with grid loads and integrate 

vehicles into the smart grid for use as 

decentralized storage devices. The basis 

for this is provided by the data generated 

by the smart charging cables themselves. 

Moving Electric Meters into Cars 

Because of these 

considerations, Siemens’ 

Energy Management Division 

decided to get involved in 

Ubitricity — financially and in 

other ways. The company plans 

to contribute its know-how 

regarding digital grids and 

other technologies to the 

partnership so that large-scale 

charging infrastructures can be 

created. “We are not 

particularly interested in single 

charging stations,” says Moritz 

Ingerfeld from Siemens Energy 

Management. “Instead, we’re 

interested in offering scalable 

solution packages and digital 

services to our customers, 

including energy utilities, 

industrial companies, logistics firms, and 

real estate businesses. These packages 

and services are needed for installing 

charging infrastructures in parking 

garages, large company parking lots, 

building complexes, and entire streets. In 

this way we can work together with our 

customers to enhance their business 

models.” Ubitricity also augments 

Siemens’ portfolio of wall-mounted and 

quick charging stations, as well as the 

company’s existing involvement in 

ChargePoint, a U.S. startup that is already 

very successful in the United States. 

However, the smart charging cable is by 

no means the last word in mobile 

electricity for automobiles. In the next 

step, Siemens will further optimize the 

smart meter inside the cable and 

eventually transfer it into vehicles, 

because most of the electronics that are 

installed in the smart cable today are 

already available inside automobiles. “We 

want the technology to ultimately develop 

in the same way the satnav system did,” 

says Pawlitschek. “Initially it was a piece of 

supplementary equipment, but later it 

became part of the vehicle. We are 

convinced that in the future cars will be 

sold together with vehicle-related green 

power contracts. That way, cars will play 

their proper role as major electric 

consumers within the grid.” 

• Hubertus Breuer 

Picture credits: Ubitricity 





15

Siemens and partners sign joint charter 

on cybersecurity 

• Ten action areas for greater cybersecurity 

• Call for dedicated government ministries and chief information security officers 

• Independent certification for critical infrastructures and solutions in the Internet of Things 

• Nine partners present first charter on cybersecurity at Munich Security Conference 

At the Munich Security 

Conference today, Siemens and 

eight partners from industry 

will sign the first joint charter 

for greater cybersecurity. 

Initiated by Siemens, the 

Charter of Trust calls for 

binding rules and standards to 

build trust in cybersecurity and 

further advance digitalization. 

In addition to Siemens and the 

Munich Security Conference 

(MSC), the companies Airbus, 

Allianz, Daimler Group, IBM, 

NXP, SGS and Deutsche 

Telekom are signing the 

Charter. The initiative is further 

welcomed by Canadian foreign 

minister and G7 representative 

Chrystia Freeland as well as 

witnessed by Elżbieta 

Bieńkowska, the EU 

Commissioner for Internal Market, 

Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and 

Medium-sized Enterprises. 

“Confidence that the security of data and 

networked systems is guaranteed is a key 

element of the digital transformation,” 

said Siemens President and CEO Joe 

Kaeser. “That’s why we have to make the 

digital world more secure and more 

trustworthy. It’s high time we acted – not 

just individually but jointly with strong 

partners who are leaders in their markets. 

We hope more partners will join us to 

further strengthen our initiative.” 

The Charter delineates 10 action areas in 

cybersecurity where governments and 

businesses must both become active. It 

calls for responsibility for cybersecurity to 

be assumed at the highest levels of 

government and business, with the 

introduction of a dedicated ministry in 

governments and a chief information 

security officer at companies. It also calls 

for companies to establish mandatory, 

independent thirdparty certification for 

critical infrastructure and solutions – 

above all, where dangerous situations can 

arise, such as with autonomous vehicles 

or the robots of tomorrow, which will 

interact directly with humans during 

production processes. In the future, 

security and data protection functions are 

to be preconfigured as a part of 

technologies, and cybersecurity 

regulations are to be incorporated into 

free trade agreements. The Charter’s 

signatories also call for greater efforts to 

foster an understanding of cybersecurity 

through training and continuing 

education as well as international 

initiatives. 



16

India Focus 

Ingenuity makes Kolkata traffic 

signals green 

Recently, the Kolkata Traffic 

Police used the Green Corridor 

for an emergency – to transport 

liver and kidney from one 

hospital to another for a 

transplant! A 10-kilometer 

stretch between the two 

hospitals, which usually takes 

45 minutes, was covered in a 

mere 14 minutes! 

Ujjal Chowdhury of PD S ER 

BHU, says, “The automated and 

time-based solution can 

monitor, control and synchronize 

all traffic signals along the 

corridor. The average commute 

time has reduced by a fifth as a 

result of the speed of traffic 

flow increasing by 20 percent, 

leading to comfort and safety of citizens.” 

This data has been verified by an independent 

research agency using data from 50 

million cab commutes and published in 

front page of Times of India. 

The project came about when Siemens 

colleagues found out that the Kolkata 

Traffic Police chief was seeking a solution 

for the endless traffic chaos in his city. 

As part of the solution, each traffic signal 

along the green corridor is equipped with 

an antenna and a GPRS-enabled SIM card, 

which is connected to a central control 

room. Traffic police personnel who used 

to manually change sequences, time and 

modes at traffic signals, will now do so at 

the central control room. The GPRS allows 

all signals of a particular zone to communicate 

with each other, optimizing 

operations. In total, over 350 modems 

have been installed at 350 locations 

presently out of the 700 traffic signals. 

The recently-concluded U-17 World Cup 

had 11 matches including the final in 

Kolkata. The Kolkata Traffic Management 

System helped the city to make it a show 

piece in front of World of Football resulted 

Bus-led spectator evacuation declined 

from 45 minutes to 15 minutes due to 

traffic density optimization. 

This is a perfect example of Ingenuity for 

life which shows economical engineering 

expertise, smart local innovation and the 

willingness to give our best for society on 

a daily basis. 



Siemens medium voltage capabilities 

contribute to Indian Navy’s modernization 

Process Industries and Drives 

Division completed the setup of 

the first-of-its-kind medium 

voltage training facility for the 

Indian Navy named “Medium 

Voltage Lab”, contributing to 

the modernization and 

strengthening of the naval 

fleet. The laboratory will 

contribute significantly to the 

Indian Navy’s transition from 

diesel/gas mechanical 

propulsion to electric 

propulsion. 

The facility will be used for first-stage 

training of naval officers and crew of 

naval ships, primarily, on medium voltage 

power generation, protection and 

distribution, and medium voltage drives 

and motors. The laboratory has been set 

up on the campus of INS Valsura, where 

officers and sailors from Indian Navy, 

Indian Coast Guard and various friendly 

foreign navies are trained in the fields of 

electrical, electronic and weapon 

technologies and systems. The turnkey 

MV Lab project is an excellent example of 

building a solution using products of 

several BUs within Siemens world. 

The construction phase of this mega 

project commenced in early February 

2017 and has been completed in a record 

time of 11 months. The lab as it stands 

today is a one-of-its-kind training facility 

in the subcontinent and is one of only two 

such facilities worldwide. The setup 

comprises equipment manufactured at 

varied locations across India and is in line 

with the Government’s Make in India 

initiative. 



17

India Focus 

Another first in the world at Kalwa 

Zsolt Sluitner, Head of Siemens Real Estate, Siemens AG, and Sunil Mathur, Siemens India CEO, inaugurated the facility today. 

More than 6,800 solar modules 

cover 13,640 square meters 

across three factory roofs in 

Kalwa. The 2.2 Megawatt peak 

solar plant will generate around 

2.9 Million Kilowatt hour of 

power, around 13 percent of 

the annual consumption of the 

Kalwa Factory Complex and 

enough to power 2,900 

households! 

The plant cuts annual CO2 

emissions by 2,400 tonnes – 

equal to 62,000 newly-planted 

trees! The generation and 

consumption of power as well 

as water and security will be 

monitored from the spanking 

new Energy Monitoring & 

Control Centre. This is the first 

facility of such magnitude 

installed in an existing factory 

anywhere in the Siemens world! 

The solar plant is the result of 

an outstanding collaborative 

effort by the team from 

Siemens Real Estate together 

with colleagues across the 

Siemens organization, who 

work on Solar Decentralized Energy 

Systems (DES). 

Zsolt Sluitner, Head of Siemens Real 

Estate, Siemens AG, and Sunil Mathur, 

Siemens India CEO, inaugurated the 

facility today. “In order to continuously 

improve our customer’s efficiency, we 

have energy efficiency programs in place 

since long. Slashing energy costs and 

reducing carbon emissions goes hand in 

hand. As Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser puts it, 

a low carbon footprint is not only good 

corporate citizenship, it’s also good 

business. I can confirm that this is the first 

example worldwide in a brownfield 

solution. I hope a lot of our customers will 

be impressed with this and will buy our 

systems. It will help us to reduce costs, 

improve efficiency and leverage dynamic 

load management. Kalwa is a very good 

example for me of sustainability and EHS 

efforts,” said Mr. Sluitner. 

Mr Mathur said, “The government is 

talking about a 100 gigawatts of 

renewables; 75 gigawatts of that is solar 

rooftop. Very few cases of this being done 

on brownfield rooftop installations. 

Being green is critical for us… but more 

importantly Kalwa being in the center of 

Mumbai’s commercial district, this is 

a first real example to show our customers 

of what even SMEs can do in their 

manufacturing environment. We are 

looking at digitalization as a major step 

forward in Siemens. For this, we need 

to be able to demonstrate that it makes 

business sense!” 

Sangeeta Ray, Head of SRE, Siemens India, 

explains, “The power plant would be used 

as a captive power plant. The return of 

investment will be through a re-financing 

model worked out based on annual 

existing energy consumption of units. 

The team was exceptional, completing the 

entire project less than 9 months during 

running factory operations and 

overcoming challenges such as limited 

access, traffic movement and weather!” 

The solar PV project at Kalwa is a replicable 

model for other factories within Siemens 

and makes an excellent business case for 

customers. It fits into the decarbonization 

plans of Siemens and showcases the 

technologies that we sell to our customers 

in our own operations. 

• Marina Patrao 



18

NEA selects Siemens for 

Load Dispatch Center upgrade 

Nepal Electricity Authority 

(NEA) has selected Siemens for 

upgrading its Supervisory 

Control and Data Acquisition / 

Energy Management System 

(SCADA/EMS) at its Load 

Dispatch Center (LDC) located 

in Kathmandu. The prestigious 

fast-track project has been 

funded by German governmentowned 

development bank KfW. 

NEA, parent generator and 

distributor of electric power 

under the supervision of the 

government of Nepal, has 

been planning to replace its 

15-year-old SCADA/EMS with 

a state-of- the art system to 

enhance the capacity of the LDC. 

The upgradation will help meet the 

requirements of expansion of the 

network and the smooth operation of 

Integrated Nepalese Power System. 

Siemens will implement the new 

SCADA/EMS system, built around 

Spectrum Power 7, its innovative Energy 

Management System platform for 

controlling and monitoring the INPS. 

This system provides advanced tools for 

monitoring and operational improvement 

of a large and complex electrical 

transmission network. The ‘multi-site’ 

feature of the Spectrum Power 7 helps 

in establishing an emergency / backup 

control center in a seamless manner. 



Energy Management Division launches 

new generation of photovoltaic inverters 

in India 

Siemens India launched 

Sinacon PV, a new generation 

of photovoltaic (PV) central 

inverters with an output up to 

5,000 kVA. The inverter is part 

of Siemens’ new electrical 

Balance of Plant (eBoP) solution 

for PV power plant installations. 

The state-of-the-art Sinacon PV 

inverter will be locally produced 

and manufactured at Siemens’ 

Kalwa plant near Mumbai for 

the domestic market as well as 

for export into the region. 

About India’s role in the global 

market, Ralf Christian opined, 

“India is a nicely growing 

market in many aspects and 

now turning green. It is a 

market where we have a lot of 

hope on stable development in 

the next years. “Harald Griem, 

Executive Vice-President and 

Head of Energy Management, 

Siemens Limited, said “Siemens 

is committed to partner the 

Government in its endeavor to 

increased use of clean energy 

sources. The National Solar 

Mission of the Government 

aims to establish India as a 

global leader in solar energy. 

Siemens aspires to contribute 

to this with local value-addition in line 

with Make in India.” 

As a leading supplier of transmission, 

distribution and smart grid solutions, 

Siemens intends in addition to the inverter 

manufacturing also a local assembly of 

medium voltage inverter stations. 

The new Siemens inverters and medium 

voltage inverter stations target large scale; 

ground mounted solar PV power plants, 

comprising of comprehensive eBoP 

solutions. The eBoP solution enables solar 

power to be intelligently integrated into 

the grid. The portfolio includes all 

electrotechnical equipment needed. 

Siemens offers complete end-to-end 

planning, engineering, and financing, 

all the way to commissioning and service, 

including optimum interconnection of 

energy storage systems and even 

complete microgrids. 

• Ritvik Balgi 



19

Driving Digital Transformation 

Krishnakumar Ramanathan, Head of Key Accounts and Vertical Markets and Chief Customer Officer, Siemens India, introduced the audience to 

Siemens and all that it represents. Ashish Bhat, CEO – Digital Factory, Siemens India, and the main speaker for the evening, made a brilliant 

presentation of what Digitalization is and how it is being driven by the Digital Factory and Process Industries & Drives Divisions. 

Customers not just in major 

metros but also in so-called tier 

II cities like Coimbatore and 

Ahmedabad are consciously 

making the shift toward digital 

transformation. Siemens India 

has taken the lead in partnering 

customers in their digitalization 

journey. 

Recently, during an interactive 

session on “Driving Digital 

Transformation”, experts from 

Siemens shared insights on 

Industry 4.0, digitalization 

technologies and their impact 

across the entire value chain, 

from production planning, 

design and manufacturing. The 

location was Coimbatore, one 

of the fastest-growing tier II 

cities in India and the hub of 

automotive ancillary, textile 

and poultry industries. In 

attendance were key 

representatives from over 130 

top corporates in Coimbatore, 

such as Lakshmi Machine 

Works, Elgi Equipments, Elgi 

Rubber, Hirotec, LGB, Malabar Cements, 

Pricol, Ponni Sugars, ITC, TVS Srichakra 

and Gedee Weiler. 

The participants got insights into the 

global trends and how digitalization can 

help overcome the challenges. In the field 

of energy, for instance, the conventional 

energy paradigms are shifting. The 

upheaval that the energy systems are 

undergoing is referred to as the “3D Model 

of Energy” because it can be traced to 

three trends: decarbonization, 

decentralization, and digitalization 

While decentralization refers to small, 

secure grids "everywhere", decentral 

generation (PV, storage) and distributed 

energy management, decarbonization is 

all about renewables, energy efficiency 

and electrification of heat & transport. 

Digitalization is brought into the equation 

though intelligent connectivity, new 

energy services and self-learning & 

healing (AI). 

In manufacturing, the Siemens low 

voltage switchgear factory at Kalwa 

Works is a perfect example of how digital 

transformation can deliver tangible 

benefits, specially for the small and 

medium enterprises. 

The globally-benchmarked factory is 

capable of producing more than 180 

variants at the rate of one product every 

nine seconds. The plant can manufacture 

over five million devices annually. 

Products at the plant communicate with 

machines and all processes are optimized 

for IT control, resulting in a minimal 

failure rate. The production methods 

deployed at the plant are expected to be 

a standard for small and medium-sized 

manufacturing units in India, achieving 

a visionary model for the future of 

manufacturing: end-to-end digitalization 

where the real and virtual worlds merge 

in “Digital Factory”. 

According to Ashish Bhat, CEO – Digital 

Factory, Siemens India, “Digitalization will 

help us engage with our customers and 

industry suppliers across the complete 

value chain. A key element in this 

evolution is an improved technological 

prowess and a world-class product 

manufacturing plant.” 



20

The Foundation of Siemens’ Innovative Strength 

Start-up in a Berlin Backyard 

In the mid-19th century, a 

small, square box weighing 

about ten kilograms marked 

the birth of the pointer 

telegraph. The device, which 

was developed by artillery 

officer and inventor Werner von 

Siemens in a backyard in Berlin 

in 1847, ushered in a new era 

of electric telegraphy. The 

protagonist of this story had a 

mindset similar to that of 

today’s start-up founders; it was 

characterized by an unshakable 

faith in his innovation, his skill, 

and a venturesome spirit, 

which was not dampened by 

early failures. “I am now firmly 

resolved to make a strong 

career out of telegraphy,” he 

wrote to his brother William in 

December 1846. Indeed, only 

five months after he filed a patent for his 

telegraph in May 1847, he and Johann 

Georg Halske founded “Telegraphen 

-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske.” 

In the following year, the young company 

was awarded a contract to build Prussia’s 

first electric telegraph line from Berlin to 

Frankfurt am Main. One year later, news 

of the resolutions of the Frankfurt 

National Assembly, the first German 

parliament, was telegraphed across a 

distance of roughly 500 kilometers to 

Berlin in less than an hour. In those days, 

this was a veritable sensation and became 

the basis for the later worldwide fame of 

“Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & 

Halske.” 

Siemens celebrated the 200th birthday of 

its founder in 2016 and the 170th 

anniversary of its establishment in 2017. 

Werner von Siemens’ legacy continues to 

this day, in the many brilliant minds that 

stand behind the Siemens name and are 

responsible for the company’s innovative 

strength. 

Venturesome Spirit: 

Werner von Siemens, 1816 – 1892 

21

In Retrospect 

1847 

Werner von Siemens refined the pointer telegraph invented by Englishman Charles Wheatstone by synchronizing 

the transmitter and receiver electrically – making the new device a major improvement over earlier versions. A year 

later a young telegraph company, the “Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske,” got its first commission – to 

install what would be Europe’s longest telegraph line of its day, from Berlin to Frankfurt am Main. 

1953 

Siemens researchers developed and patented a special technique for making ultrapure silicon for semiconductor 

applications. The discovery revolutionized the entire field of electrical engineering, and also represented a 

successful entry into microelectronics, tapping a key technology that also extended into other fields of production. 

22

1980 

Siemens made its successful debut in digitalizing telephone technology, with its EWSD digital electronic exchange 

system. EWSD soon became the world's best-selling landline switching system. Four years later, the company 

introduced the Hicom private communications system – its first proprietary digital telephone set solution. The 

product found rapid acceptance in industry, business and government. 

2010 

In 2010, Siemens delivered the world's largest, most powerful 800 kilovolt (kV) converter transformer, intended for 

the high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission segment then under construction between Xiangjiaba and Shanghai in 

China. At more than 2,000 kilometers and with a transmission capacity of 6,400 megawatts (MW), this HVDC 

connection was the longest and most powerful in the world. 

Credit: Siemens Historical Institute. 

23

Published by and copyright © 2018 

Siemens Ltd. 

Birla Aurora, Level 22, 

Plot No. 1080, Dr. Annie Besant Road, 

Worli, Mumbai – 400030, India 

Corporate Identity Number: 

L28920MH1957PLC010839 

Tel: +91 22 3967 7000 

Fax: +91 22 3967 7500 

For more information, call us on our 

toll-free number: 1800 209 1800 

(Monday to Saturday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm) 

/SiemensPayItForward 

/SiemensIndia 

All rights reserved. On account of certain regional limitations of sales 

rights and service availability, we cannot guarantee that all products 

included in this magazine are available through the Siemens sales 

organization worldwide. Availability and packaging may vary by country 

and are subject to change without prior notice. The information in this 

document contains general technical descriptions of specifications and 

options as well as standard and optional features which do not always 

have to be present in individual cases. Siemens reserves the right to 

modify the design, packaging, specifications, and options described 

herein without prior notice. Please contact your local Siemens sales 

representative for the most current information. The required technical 

options should therefore be specified in the contract. 

Note: Any technical data contained in this document may vary within 

defined tolerances. 

www.siemens.co.in

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