Flexible capacity for a more resilient grid

Ireland’s energy transition is not only a generation challenge. It is also a resilience and infrastructure challenge.

As more renewable generation connects to the system and electricity demand grows, network operators need greater flexibility to maintain supply during planned works, equipment replacement, and unexpected outages.

Kyte Powertech has developed a new mobile transformer solution to provide temporary or emergency capacity in precisely these situations. Designed and manufactured within R&S Group, the unit combines transformer technology, switching equipment, cooling, protection, monitoring, and connection systems within a single transportable container.

The result is a deployment-ready solution that can be mobilised where additional transformer capacity is needed, helping utilities and energy operators maintain continuity of supply while permanent infrastructure is unavailable, being upgraded or under repair.

Its potential applications extend across the energy system. The mobile transformer can support planned substation maintenance and refurbishment, emergency response following network disruption, temporary grid reinforcement, and renewable energy projects. It can also provide interim capacity for industrial sites and critical infrastructure while permanent assets are being manufactured or replaced.

The design includes built-in flexibility, with the transformer engineered to operate at agreed voltage levels across different network requirements throughout Europe. Transformer power and LV voltages can be configured to suit the application, while the HV side can accommodate voltage ratings from 11 kV up to 34.5 kV.

This adaptability allows the unit to support a broad range of medium- and low-voltage network configurations, widening the number of sites at which it can be deployed. The integrated containerised format also reduces the amount of equipment that must be assembled separately on site.

Alongside mobility, the project places a strong emphasis on data. Advanced condition monitoring captures electrical, thermal, and mechanical operating information, including load, harmonics, power quality, cooling-system status, and winding temperatures. This operating data can be compared with calculated thermal models and used by Kyte Powertech and R&S Group R&D to further optimise transformer performance, cooling, and material use.

The unit also uses Bio 300X insulating fluid, supporting the project’s focus on thermal performance and more efficient material use.

For an electricity system undergoing rapid change, resilience depends not only on building permanent new infrastructure, but also on having flexible assets available when the network needs them. Kyte Powertech’s mobile transformer brings together mobility, adaptable configuration, and advanced monitoring in a practical solution designed to support continuity of supply across grid, renewable energy, and critical infrastructure applications.

W: www.kytepowertech.com