Lauritz Knudsen, part of Schneider Electric Group, is exploring innovations such as hydrogen analysers and wind energy systems and is becoming part of EV charging infrastructure as part of its plans to grow its renewable energy business.
In 2020, Schneider Electric acquired L&T Switchgear, Larsen & Toubro’s electrical and automation business, for Rs 14,000 crore and rebranded it as Lauritz Knudsen.
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“We are dedicated to being a leader in clean and renewable energy. Our innovation and R&D efforts are concentrated on the new energy landscape, and in fact, we have a dedicated business unit focused on this area,” said Naresh Kumar, chief operating officer at Lauritz Knudsen.
The majority of its attention and focus is directed towards renewable energy, Kumar said, adding that currently the demand is increasing significantly, especially for products related to alternative energy like ethanol, renewable energy like solar, wind and green hydrogen, Agri-tech and agri-automation, pumped storage systems (PSP), and battery energy storage systems (BESS), he said.
The company is investing Rs 850 crore primarily into manufacturing plants. Wherever they have facilities, they are establishing R&D labs and new automation lines, as they are focused on enhancing their capacity, Kumar said.
This investment in India is part of their overall incremental capacity investment, globally, of EUR 2 billion from 2024 to 2027 by the Schneider Electric group, he added.
It has manufacturing facilities in three locations – Vadodara, Ahmednagar and Coimbatore. These facilities are also equipped with R&D centres and labs. it also has an R&D centre and lab operating out of Mhape in Navi Mumbai, having over 500 employees.
Kumar said they are developing products with high-breaking-capacity, high-voltage, and green products. . “We are currently analyzing what solutions are required to support future technologies and transitions, ensuring our products align with these applications,” he said
He said customers are asking to measure productivity along with energy consumption. “They want to understand the output related to energy used—like how much energy is needed to produce a certain amount of rice or ethanol. This is an area we are actively exploring,” he said.
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Kumar said the company is becoming part of the ecosystem of EV chargers and distribution systems.
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