| Power plant products Industry-first open software-defined DCS
Schneider Electric has launched what it believes is an industry first in an open software-defined distributed control system. It is designated EcoStruxure Foxboro Software Defined Automation.
The launch is a response to what Schneider believes is a crucial point for industrial operations that need to modernise for Industry 4.0 or risk falling behind. This open, software-defined DCS could ‘break decades of hardware lock in and change how industrial plants modernise’. By separating software from hardware, operators can now upgrade control capabilities without throwing out legacy systems or shutting down production. Its belief is based on its own report, ‘Global Research report’ with analysts Omdia which found that closed systems cost mid-sized industrial companies 7.5% of revenue through
compromise, protecting their investments while unlocking future-ready capabilities. This evolution is a strategic enabler for digital transformation.” Its key features as described by its maker are:
● Open, software-defined architecture, which decouples software from hardware to deliver vendor independence and interoperability.
downtime, inefficiencies, and compliance retrofits every year.
“EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA marks a defining moment for industrial automation,” said Hany Fouda, senior VP, Process Automation, at Schneider Electric. “By embracing openness and software-defined architecture, we’re giving our customers the ability to modernise without
● Being cybersecure and future-ready, built with secure-by-design principles and IEC 62443-3-3 compliance, delivering a future-ready platform that enables IT/OT convergence, AI/ML integration, and autonomous operations for Industry 4.0 and energy transition.
● It simplifies operations & reduces costs: customers can reduce CapEx and OpEx, streamline deployment with intuitive tools, and minimise downtime by avoiding obsolescence and enabling predictive maintenance.
Salko wins four-year maintenance contract for Enfield PS
stations over the next four years. The OTC contract and GT exhaust maintenance are intended to significantly reduce forced outage risks, improve start reliability, and create a safer working environment, while also enhancing plant availability across the fleet.
Exhaust gas diffuser
Salko UK has been awarded a major contract covering the supply and associated on-site activities for the once-through cooler (OTC) and GT exhaust works at the Enfield power station located near London. Salko will also manage ongoing maintenance operations at Uniper’s Grain and Taylors Lane power
To deliver the OTC contract, Salko UK will execute a high-priority tube bundle replacement to enhance the thermal performance, mechanical integrity and operational reliability of the power station’s high-pressure cooling system. The repair works will include the removal of existing components, fabrication, installation, inspection, testing and commissioning. Salko
Innovation to help reliability of local networks
UK Power Networks is trialling what it believes will be a cutting-edge device to support the adoption of low-carbon technologies on traditional electricity networks. The new technology works to maximise the use of existing low voltage cables rather than build new structure. Working with Ecojoule Energy and Fundamentals, the company is deploying smart EcoVAR units that balance electricity on local networks. The initiative will see five of the units installed. These are smart, pole-mounted devices that that keep the network balanced and operating efficiently at the low- voltage level where most homes and businesses are connected.
The technology works by managing the flow of electricity across the network’s three separate phase lines. Sometimes one phase can become overloaded while others are underused.
The EcoVAR unit automatically redistributes electricity to the quieter lines, helping the network accommodate more clean energy technologies without investing in infrastructure where it is not needed. As they are installed on existing poles, the device can be up and running within hours.
The first unit has been installed in Graveney, Kent, in the UK, with data collected during the trial being used to assess how effectively the system improves network efficiency. Each unit is monitored and updated remotely, allowing for smarter management of power flows in a local network that includes solar power, EVs and other low carbon technologies, but had become unreliable at times. The trial will also test the unit across different weather conditions, helping to ensure that as low-carbon technologies become
will continue to carry out lifetime-extending maintenance of the GT exhaust system. During the next four years Salko UK will embark on ten planned projects under this framework, marking the second agreement of its kind for the company. These projects will contribute to an ongoing major turbine modernisation programme in collaboration with GE Vernova at Grain power station, to upgrade three GT26 gas turbines. It follows a similar implementation at Enfield power station, which demonstrated increased outputs, enhanced efficiency, reduced fuel consumption and extended maintenance intervals, all contributing to lower carbon intensity generation.
widespread, electricity networks remain resilient, flexible and ready for the low-carbon future.
www.modernpowersystems.com | April 2026 | 39
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