The energy sector, a cornerstone of national security and economic development, is undergoing a revolutionary shift in the digital age. At the "Accelerating Energy Sector Transformation with AI Insights" conference hosted by Viettel Solutions in Hanoi, experts discussed the current challenges and opportunities. Building a robust digital infrastructure was identified as the key to success.

Nguyen Chi Linh, Deputy Director of the Enterprise Customer Division at Viettel Solutions, speaks at the conference. Photo: Tuan Linh

Nguyen Chi Linh, Deputy Director of the Enterprise Customer Division at Viettel Solutions, speaks at the conference. Photo: Tuan Linh

Experts noted the energy sector faces the dual challenge of massive data volumes and pressure to optimize operating costs. An average power plant has 40 to 50 core systems, with 65,000 to 70,000 data points updating every second. This data must be managed effectively to avoid becoming a burden.

Nguyen Chi Linh, Deputy Director of the Enterprise Customer Division at Viettel Solutions, shared that many businesses are struggling with fragmented and disconnected data. "One project revealed a company with 10,600 data fields, but 70% were collected manually without proper controls," he said. "Data, if not managed properly, becomes a burden instead of an asset. There are also requirements for data security and cybersecurity."

Data governance is paramount in the energy sector's digital transformation. This data should be considered a strategic asset, the foundation for management decisions and development. At the conference, Viettel Solutions proposed an approach starting with five core questions about data types and the overall business landscape.

AI is considered a strategic driver in power plants, now and in the future. Photo: Tuan Linh

AI is considered a strategic driver in power plants, now and in the future. Photo: Tuan Linh

Accordingly, businesses need a clear data strategy, from defining system architecture to implementing suitable technologies to transform data into a "digital heart." Specifically for the energy sector, data governance must closely follow 11 areas of the governance framework to ensure consistency and efficiency. The Viettel Solutions representative emphasized the need to define a clear data strategy before investing in technology. Partnering with an experienced provider is also crucial for effective strategy implementation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (Gen AI) also usher in a new development phase for the energy sector. AI is a lever for enhanced performance and intelligent decision-making, optimizing power output, forecasting consumption demand, and minimizing fuel consumption through continuous data stream analysis from sensors.

AI is present at all decision-making levels, supporting equipment monitoring and predictive maintenance. However, AI cannot reach its full potential without a well-planned data platform and sufficiently robust infrastructure.

Cloud computing infrastructure is also considered a suitable launchpad to realize AI's potential and transform data into a "digital heart." Viettel Cloud offers a Make in Vietnam ecosystem with domestic AI deployment solutions through Viettel Kubernetes Engine (VKE) and GPU-as-a-Service.

The Viettel Cloud ecosystem is developed to suit domestic power plants. Photo: Tuan Linh

The Viettel Cloud ecosystem is developed to suit domestic power plants. Photo: Tuan Linh

VKE is a container orchestration platform (Kubernetes) developed and managed by Viettel, enabling businesses to deploy AI/ML models without complex infrastructure operations. Combined with a high-performance domestic GPU infrastructure, providing flexible hourly, cluster, or task-based services, it can optimize costs according to usage scale. The accompanying ecosystem, including AI Studio, GenAI Studio, and API inference, supports businesses in operating AI throughout its lifecycle, from training to deployment.

A representative from Viettel Solutions stated that the provider is implementing a flexible hybrid cloud model, combining on-premises and cloud infrastructure, located in Viettel's international-standard data centers. They also provide solutions to ensure continuous operation, such as disaster recovery (DR) and security protection by the Security Operations Center (SOC).

The collaboration between Viettel Solutions and global technology companies like Intel offers optimized and synchronized hardware and software solutions, helping to save energy consumption at the hardware level. According to analyses from consulting firms like McKinsey, the future model of digital power plants will shift from manual recording and reporting to a fully real-time data-driven operation. Machines, systems, and sensor devices will continuously "communicate" through digital data, and AI will be the analytical "brain" to support faster and more accurate decision-making.

"With mastery of core AI technologies, big data, IoT, data center infrastructure, and cloud computing, Viettel Solutions is partnering with numerous businesses, factories, and organizations in the journey of practical and effective digital transformation in the energy sector," the Viettel Solutions representative said.

Tuan Vu