Crisis exposes need for resilient energy system: CEO

Disruptions to global energy supplies arising from conflict in the Middle East have highlighted the importance of Asia and the world building a more resilient energy system, according to Wolf Mueller, CEO of the service business unit and executive vice-president of Swiss-based technology company Hitachi Energy.

China has an increasingly important role to play in the global energy transition, Mueller said in an interview with China Daily at the 17th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum and Exhibition being held in Macao from Wednesday through Friday. "The current oil-induced crisis reinforces the need to accelerate renewables, electrification, and grid investment to reduce exposure to volatile global fossil fuel dependencies."

Noting that electricity security now underpins national security, Mueller said that countries need to treat power as critical infrastructure.

"In general, China is in a favorable position for energy security," he added, attributing this to the country's highly diversified energy mix and its role as the world's largest renewable energy market, strong hydropower and nuclear growth, and a highly connected grid network.

Themed "Boosting Green Digital Infrastructure Connectivity", the forum in Macao, the annual highlight of the global infrastructure sector, was jointly organized by the China International Contractors Association and the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.

Noting that China aims to build a new energy system during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), Mueller said this presents significant opportunities for the company.

"We see growing demand across the full life cycle of power equipment — from maintaining and modernizing assets to advancing digitalization and the low-carbon transition of infrastructure," he said.

In Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, the company delivered the world's first 550 kilovolt sulfur hexafluoride-free retrofill solution for existing gas-insulated lines at the Zhejiang Beilun power plant.

Mueller said the company has also been deeply involved in projects related to new grid technologies and modernization of power systems in China, and he believes the country has an important role to play in addressing the global energy challenge.

Growing demand

"With experience in building and operating one of the world's largest and most advanced power grids, China offers a proven model for integrating renewables at scale and meeting rapidly growing electricity demand, including from emerging sectors such as AI," said Mueller.

Attending the forum for the first time, Kim Dae-sik, vice-chairman of the International Contractors Association of Korea, told China Daily that the Middle East crisis has exposed the challenge of energy security for many countries, especially those that heavily rely on imported fuels, including the Republic of Korea.

Kim said he believes there are opportunities for the ROK and China to deepen cooperation in renewable energy and to jointly explore third markets as the two countries have complementary strengths in the sector.

In particular, he said that the ROK and China can work together to support economic recovery and industrial reconstruction after the war ends. Broad recovery will be needed not only in transport infrastructure but also in oil and gas, petrochemicals, and power generation, he said.

According to the Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index Report (2026) released during the forum, new energy infrastructure has become a key pillar of the energy transition and high-quality development for countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Addressing the forum, Ronny Hutahayan, deputy coordinating minister for Housing and Settlement Infrastructure Development of Indonesia, said China's capabilities in clean energy, power transmission and submarine cables are highly relevant to Indonesia's next phase of development and expressed the archipelago's readiness to enhance infrastructure cooperation with China.