As global energy demand continues to rise, driven by increased reliance on technology and economic growth, especially in developing countries, energy suppliers must adapt to meet the evolving needs of their customers. To scale their operations and optimize their business processes, energy suppliers must meet their customers where they are. For example, a wind energy provider in Brazil could benefit from offering contracts and technical documentation in Portuguese to cater to the local market. By offering services in the languages that customers prefer, energy suppliers can better connect with their target markets and foster long-term relationships.
Emerging Markets and Renewable Energy on the Rise
Recent studies show that the overall majority of goods and products have skyrocketed, influenced by the economic development of emerging markets.
[1] In China, annual energy consumption is expected to hit nearly 4 billion tons of oil equivalent by 2035. [2] In India, annual energy consumption is expected to hit nearly 2 billion tons of oil equivalent by 2040. Consumer requests, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, have pressured energy demand across several verticals. This includes utilities, transportation, construction, and manufacturing.
Developments in these areas will require the assistance of the language service industry in facilitating communications between foreign companies, domestic companies, government agencies, and consumers in key languages.
To face this challenge, private sector and government agencies must partner with key leaders and language service providers (or LSPs) offering turnkey language solutions while upholding regulatory standards in a competitive environment.
Terminology in the energy industry presents its own specificities but challenges as well. Concepts such as standpipe, kelly, upstream, wildcat well, roustabout, hydraulic fracturing, and Christmas trees are common and critical. Therefore, they require constant technical knowledge updates in any targeted languages.
Technological advancements and the growing popularity of renewable energies are driving the development of new concepts like the angle of attack, reaction turbines, and syngas. Monitoring the evolution of these terms is crucial for understanding business processes and effectively managing global tasks.
Regular updates on new vocabulary and contextualization guarantee the translation’s relevancy and consistency across upcoming communication tools and documentation. Any misconception or lack of consideration regarding these 2 requirements can lead to liability risks and legal repercussions.
Extensive Project with Short Timeline
Timelines are always critical for the energy industry, leaving little bandwidth for additional resources to perform tasks, with translations more than not being an afterthought. Documentation for project bids can consist of hundreds of pages, with a hard-set deadline for submission. In addition, foreign governments can also require for the translation of specific regulatory documents before the drafting of a project bid can even begin.
For extensive projects with a short timeframe, one approach favored by some LSPs to divide them by tasks and mobilize multiple translation teams. But this method leads to one well-known issue: inconsistencies of translation between linguists unless provided specific guidance and monitoring for quality assurance.
A trustworthy and proficient language partner, Universe knows how to synergize the efforts of multiple translators in such a way as to ensure consistency in terms and style.
Other Capabilities and Deployment Requirements
Due to the scale and nature of energy projects, energy translation often requires knowledge of topics and key terms relating to:
- Law
- Chemical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Real estate
- Biology
- Ecology
To ensure the accurate translation of documents, your language partner needs to be able to draw from resources with strengths in a wide range of areas related to energy.
Providing World-Class Energy Translations in Houston, Texas
With over 43 years of experience as a language services provider, Universe Technical Translation has extensive connections with companies in the energy sector. Its translators and editors are well acquainted with specialized energy terminology, and its management team understands the particular needs of energy companies.
