• • • SENSORS & SENSING SYSTEMS • • •
POWERING THE ENERGY TRANSITION: ELECTRIFICATION AND THE FUTURE OF TRANSFORMER PRODUCTION
networks – and transformers are at the centre of this growth.
Electrification and BY HUGO CAMPELO,
SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISOR, NYNAS AB AND ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER FOR CWIEME BERLIN
A
t its core, the energy transition is an electrification story. As countries race to decarbonise transport, heating and
industry, electricity is becoming the dominant energy source. Behind every new wind farm, solar park or EV charging hub sits an often overlooked but critical piece of technology: the transformer. Here, Hugo Campelo, Senior Technical Advisor at Nynas AB and CWIEME Berlin advisory board member, explores what electrification means for transformers, right down to their components and oils. Ember, the energy think tank, estimates that only 22 per cent of EU energy demand is currently electrified and that a further 67 per cent could be electrified with market-ready technologies. Electrification at this scale will require a fundamental expansion and adaptation of grid
10 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • MAY 2026
transformer demand Electrification fundamentally means more transformers being deployed across both public and private networks. For decades, grid expansion primarily occurred within regulated public infrastructure. Today, growth spans utility-scale renewables, industrial electrification, data centres and urban EV charging hubs, and this landscape continues to evolve.
Manufacturers’ order books are full for years ahead, and investment in new production facilities is accelerating. Yet scale alone is not the only change. The operating environment of transformers is also shifting. Historically, much of the grid operated around relatively stable baseload generation. Renewable integration is now altering that dynamic. Wind and solar introduce variable profiles, increasing thermal cycling and operational volatility across the network. These patterns place new demands not only on transformer design, but on the materials inside them. Ultimately, transformers are thermal machines. Heat generated during operation must be
dissipated efficiently to maintain reliability and lifespan. The insulating fluid plays a dual role: electrical insulation and cooling. As operating profiles become more dynamic, fluid performance becomes even more critical.
New applications,
new requirements Renewable deployment is also reshaping where and how transformers operate. Offshore wind installations, for example, impose strict weight constraints. Lower-density materials can reduce overall mass, offering structural and cost advantages. Meanwhile, offshore assets face wide thermal amplitudes and harsh environmental conditions, requiring stability across broader temperature ranges.
EV charging infrastructure is also expanding rapidly across European cities. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2024 alone, over 1.3 million public charging points were installed globally, a 30 per cent increase compared with the previous year. However, this technology brings its own challenges. Because land comes at a premium, compact substations are key. In such applications, efficient cooling in smaller geometries becomes essential. Meanwhile, lower- viscosity insulating fluids are needed for efficient
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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