Automation and AI are increasingly taking place in the energy sector, where autonomous energy sector is quickly becoming a key development trend. A new global study from Schneider Electric shows that half of the industry could be fully autonomous within four years. While Asia and North America are leading the development due to the large energy demand from AI, Sweden is lagging behind – a quarter of respondents have not yet started to adopt autonomous solutions.
Figures from Schneider Electric's new report ”"Global Autonomous Maturity"”, conducted in 12 countries among 400 industry leaders, shows that a variety of factors are driving the desire in the energy and chemical sectors to automate.
Nearly a third (31.5 percent) say autonomous solutions are a high priority over the next five years, rising to 44 percent in ten years. Less than five percent globally see the area as a low priority.
Leaders point to strong commercial drivers and warn that delayed implementation risks higher operating costs (59 percent), increased skills shortages (52 percent) and reduced competitiveness (48 percent). At the same time, implementation does not come without challenges. The main barriers are high initial investments (34 percent), legacy system environments (30 percent), organizational resistance (27 percent), cybersecurity risks (26 percent) and regulatory uncertainty (25 percent).
The report shows that the industry is at a critical turning point, where electrification, automation and digitalization are converging. The surge in demand for AI, driven primarily by hyperscale cloud services and the growth of data centers, is putting unprecedented pressure on the world’s energy systems. Electricity demand is expected to nearly double to 1,000 TWh by 2030, further reinforcing the need for flexible, efficient and resilient operations.
In the emerging energy ecosystem around artificial intelligence, half of industry leaders identify AI as the single most important enabler for increased autonomy, followed by advances in cybersecurity, cloud and edge computing, digital twins, advanced process control, and open, software-defined automation.
Globally, organizations are already reporting that they are working towards 70 percent autonomy, with plans to reach 80 percent by 2030. Autonomy is fast becoming the new business model for industry. As AI evolves and the energy system comes under increasing pressure, autonomous operations are proving to be critical to resilience and competitiveness. This shift is not about replacing people, but about empowering them to focus on higher-value work, strengthening safety and raising skill levels. Those who scale up now will shape the next era of industrial performance, says Gwenaelle Avice Huet, Executive Vice President at Schneider Electric.
Industry analysts also believe that development has progressed further than expected.
”The report shows that the implementation of autonomy in the sector is more advanced than expected, with open and software-defined automation effectively leading the next phase of energy innovation. In a sector where reliability, safety and reduced carbon emissions are now non-negotiable, these technologies are becoming the most effective way to deliver ”more with less’ and drive more resilient and competitive operations,” says Gaurav Sharma, independent energy market analyst and contributor to the study.
Sweden is lagging behind in autonomous development
The report describes Sweden be one of the leading countries in modern technology. Despite this, almost a quarter of Swedish industrial leaders say they have not yet started using autonomous solutions – while almost all (96 percent) believe that climate goals are impossible to achieve without automation. Four in ten feel concerned about cybersecurity and 36 percent see a skills shortage in the business as a major challenge.
For Sweden to remain at the forefront of innovation and technology, we need to automate more, more efficiently and on a larger scale. But for that to be possible, we need to not only close skills gaps, but also guide and make it easier for companies to become more digitalized. This will be crucial to securing Swedish competitiveness going forward, says Susanne Dahl, Vice President of Industrial Automation in the Nordics and Baltics at Schneider Electric.
The development is clear but uneven, and the data shows regional differences in maturity. While the GCC countries and Asia are currently at the forefront, North America is expected to have the fastest implementation of autonomous solutions over the next five years. This is due to increased energy production and consumption, as well as growing data center capacity. Europe is making steady progress but has the slowest pace of development in its adoption.
Autonomous operations are redefining how energy and chemical companies operate their facilities, and Schneider Electric and AVEVA are at the forefront of this change, supporting customers such as Shell, European Energy, ADNOC and Baosteel in real-world implementations. By integrating Schneider Electric’s process control and energy management with AVEVA’s digital technologies and industrial intelligence, we deliver integrated software-defined architectures that provide real-time visibility and enable AI-powered digital twins that can predict, adapt and self-optimize with minimal intervention,” says Devan Pillay, President of the Heavy Industry segment at Schneider Electric.
About the survey
The survey was conducted in collaboration with Censuswide and Development Economics, supported by insights from independent energy market analyst Gaurav Sharma. It is based on insights from 400 senior energy executives in 12 countries North America, Europe, Asia and the GCC. The survey has been supplemented by desk research and conversations with industry players and commentators within the global energy and chemicals sector.
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