MTU Host First National PowerGrid Conference to Promote the Upskilling of the Next Generation of Engineers

Munster Technological University’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering hosted the first national PowerGRID2025 conference in the Bishopstown Campus last week. The event attracted 100 registered delegates from a wide range of power industries, technology and energy sectors to explore the challenges and opportunities of an evolving power grid.

The high attendance reflects the importance of innovation and digitisation required for Ireland’s grid infrastructure upgrade that is essential for the state to meet its energy transition goals. The power grid is undergoing a monumental transformation to meet growing electricity demands while supporting ambitious climate action goals.

The goals include:

—  Targeting a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 through the Climate Action Plan.

—  Increasing Ireland’s power system from 75% integration of renewable energy sources will increase this to 95% by 2030.

—  Ensure the modernised power grid must also support a projected increase in Irish electricity demand from 33 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2022 to 56 TWh by 2030 and 80TWh in 2050.

To support this growth the electricity grid requires significant upgrades with a growing need for skilled professionals in designing, developing, and operating modern grid systems. MTU, with the support of industrial partners, has heavily invested in its power engineering training facilities, and the first graduate class from the MTU, Springboard Supported Postgraduate Certificate in Smart Sustainable Power Engineering, presented their work at the conference.

This upskilling comes at a critical time as the digital technologies in modern grid and substation design require engineers to span both electronic, communication, cybersecurity and electrical engineering domains at a level not previously supported in university programmes.

Commenting on the event, Ross Kelly, H&MV, said, “The skills needed to engineer a modern digital substation are so broad that no one person could know it all, so a new role is needed for a system integrator. This person needs to know a little bit about power systems, AC/DC, Battery/UPS, primary and secondary equipment, SCADA, protection schemes, networking, cyber and Level 3 and 4 commissioning..”

Applications for the 2025 delivery of this programme are now open at https://springboardcourses.ie/details/13707.