| Power plant products Envelio launches strategic grid planner


Envelio, the smart grid software provider specialist, is expanding its Intelligent Grid Platform with its ‘Strategic Grid Planner’ to support end-to-end, load- flow–based system planning. This new software enables grid operators to design technically sound and cost-effective grid plans for future target years such as 2030 and 2035.


The claims made for this new software include:


● Optimised planning at scale made possible; the planner enables utilities to generate and validate system plans by evaluating thousands of technically feasible and economically optimised alternatives across defined planning horizons.


● Algorithmic and automated: AI-based optimisation, high-performance simulation, and advanced network modelling co-ordinate decisions across planning years and enable


defensible, cost-efficient outcomes. In respect of distributed generation, battery storage systems, EV charging infrastructure, and rapidly evolving load profiles are fundamentally outpacing traditional distribution planning methods. Utilities are required to make multi- billion-dollar investment decisions under technical and economic complexity, without tools capable of systematically evaluating the full range of viable system options. Strategic Grid Planner is said to change this. It enables distribution utilities to proactively design and validate co-ordinated, multi- year grid development plans by algorithmically evaluating thousands of technically feasible and economically optimised alternatives. The new digital tool complements the IGP, a digital toolbox where grid operators can find all the resources they need for grid operation,


control, and planning. The Strategic Grid Planner automatically generates grid expansion plans, compares variants, and assesses costs for various future grid scenarios. It evaluates solutions in a defined order, considering grid optimisation first, followed by flexibility, reinforcement, and finally expansion. For instance, the app enables the comprehensive switch state optimisation across the entire primary network to exhaust optimisation of load balancing before considering system upgrades. At the core of the planner is a self-learning, AI-based algorithm that continuously adapts and improves based on insights gained from each planning scenario. It analyses successful grid expansion strategies, recognises patterns and dependencies between different expansion measures, and generates more precise solution proposals based on these findings.


Launch of MCSeT next-gen switchgear


Schneider Electric has launched its latest product in power distribution, MCSeT, in the UK. This new piece of equipment is a next-generation medium-voltage switchgear solution, designed for safe, energy-efficient, and future-ready power distribution in industrial, commercial, and utility applications. In the UK, the need for a more resilient and efficient power distribution system is becoming increasingly urgent. The country is using increasingly more electrical power each year, driven by a rising demand and an accelerated electrification across industry and transport – all of which is creating growing pressure on ageing network infrastructure. In Schneider’s view system adaptation requires that distribution networks be modernised to operate more reliably, flexibly, and intelligently,


and incorporate digital capabilities that enhance connectivity, asset visibility, and real-time system management, enabling operators to respond faster to changing conditions and maintain reliability as networks become more complex. Key features of MCSeT are:


● Extended circuit breaker life: MCSeT is powered by the new EvoPact HVX CB, engineered to deliver a significantly extended service life for medium-voltage applications. It can support 50 000 mechanical and electrical operations at 12/17.5 kV, and 30 000 operations at 24 kV. This goes alongside up to 50 short-circuit breaking operations at normal rated current.


● More uptime through data-driven maintenance: From day one, MCSeT enables a data-driven maintenance


approach. IoT-connected sensors monitor component health and abnormal conditions continuously, detecting up to 63% of potential downtime scenarios.


● Reduced operational risk: connectivity and real-time data help minimise risk exposure and respond faster to changing conditions. MCSeT enables early warnings before issues escalate and allows key operations to be performed digitally via HMI or mobile app.


Featuring an optimised design that uses 20% less raw materials, says Schneider, the MCSeT also incorporates a high-rated circuit breaker, eliminating the need for SF6 greenhouse gases. It will be available with 12, 17.5 and 24 kV variants, each featuring natively integrated sensors and connectivity.


New standard for wind turbine testing


Lindø Offshore Renewables Centre (LORC) has inaugurated what it believes is one of the world’s most powerful main bearing test facilities, enabling full-scale validation for wind turbines up to 25 MW. The facility allows testing under realistic load conditions, addressing the growing demands as turbines continue to increase in size and complexity. R&D Test Systems designed and delivered the complete solution in close collaboration with Schaeffler.


As wind turbines continue to grow in size and power rating, the demands on critical components increase dramatically. In particular main bearings, which support the rotor and transfer loads into the turbine structure, are exposed to extreme forces over long lifetimes. Ensuring their reliability at the multi-megawatt scale requires test facilities capable of replicating real operational conditions with exceptional accuracy and power. Lindø Offshore Renewables Centre (LORC) set out to address this challenge by establishing a new main


bearing test facility capable of testing bearings for wind turbines up to 25 MW. R&D Test Systems was appointed to design, engineer, and deliver the complete facility, while Schaeffler provided extensive application knowledge, which formed the foundation for the test rig.


R&D Test Systems was responsible for delivering the complete test system. This included the mechanical and structural design of the test bench, load application systems, control and measurement architecture, as well as civil works,


installation, and commissioning. The facility was specifically engineered to reproduce realistic, multi-axial load conditions representative of modern and future offshore wind turbines under real-world conditions. The development phase focused on addressing a number of fundamental engineering challenges, including replicating extremely high static and dynamic loads, ensuring sufficient stiffness and stability of the test bench structure, designing load application systems capable of reproducing realistic turbine load cases, and integrating control and measurement systems suited for detailed bearing analysis. The test facility enables:


● Full-scale testing of main bearings for turbines up to 25 MW.


● Improved understanding of bearing behaviour under realistic, multi-axial loads.


● Reduced technical risk in turbine and component development.


● Faster validation of next-generation designs. www.modernpowersystems.com | April 2026 | 41


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