Market Trends of Middle East PLC Industry
Oil Segment Accounts for Significant Market Share
The Middle East accounts for many energy reserves, among the world's top crude oil-producing regions. For instance, the United Arab Emirates holds significant energy reserves. About 30% of the country's Gross Domestic Product is directly based on oil and gas output, per the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Thus, large-scale oil and gas industries created a sizeable market for PLC.
In oil and gas pipeline transportation, the application of automation systems is essential to realize the process parameters while monitoring the operation of the whole line. It is directly related to the safety and stability of pipeline transmission.
Oil refinery automation systems are intended to automate crude oil atmospheric distillation processes to residual, diesel, and gasoline fractions and their shipment to customers. These systems are realized using a set of programmable logic controllers (PLC) and distributed control architecture.
Vista Automation is one of the leading Industrial Automation solutions providers in the Middle East and covers a wide range of applications and processes, including Oil & Gas. The company offers PLC/SCADA-based and DCS-based solutions for discrete, batch, and continuous processes.
Further, in May 2022, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) announced the discovery of 650 million barrels of onshore crude oil reserves in Abu Dhabi, including a significant oil find at Bu Hasa, its largest producing onshore oilfield. Such developments will enhance the demand for PLC in the coming period.
Renewable Energy to Witness Significant Market Growth
The PLC market in Saudi Arabia has mostly benefited from the government and private players' investment in energy and utilities, like GE, Eaton, ABB, and Emerson, due to which there was high penetration of automation in the industries.
In addition, UAE's Energy Strategy 2050 aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050 while reducing the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%.
The Middle East is expected to spend heavily on upgrading smart grids in the coming decade as utilities seek to improve efficiency and reduce system losses and carbon emissions. A smart grid is a dynamic solution that effectively manages and distributes renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen.
Smart Meters form an important component of the smart grid. The smart meter is realized by incorporating the PLC within an electrical meter. Using a PLC within a smart meter improves communication bandwidth, lowers processor scan-time, and improves code efficiency and effectiveness by optimizing throughput.
Further, the trends toward the dual-axis solar tracking system have been implemented using a programmable logic controller (PLC). This proposed system keeps the solar panels aligned with the sun during sunrise to maximize solar power extracted from the sun. In this work, an open-loop control system has been designed and carried out using PLC and direct current motors for solar cell sun tracking. With future investment in renewable energy, Saudi Arabia caters to high demand.
