Modernization & upgrades

For switchgear and substations, the work ranges from bay-layout modifications and substation modernization to refurbishment and retrofit that bring existing installations up to current standards and improve safety. Capacity can be expanded without a full rebuild — adding GIS bays from the same product family for seamless integration, or using adapter modules to extend compatibility with an existing GIS type. Environmental compliance is a common driver: SF6 phase-out mandates can be met through retrofit rather than replacement.

For transformers, refurbishment restores internal and external components — windings, bushings, tap-changers (OLTCs) and seals — while retrofit brings a unit up to modern standards and improves operational control. Typical upgrades include cooling-system retrofits for thermal optimization, control-cabinet modernization for enhanced automation, and the integration of digital monitoring and diagnostics. Work is carried out on site or in a refurbishment workshop depending on the scope. Control-system, cyber-security and digital-enablement upgrades apply across the transmission asset base, protecting the original investment while readying it for renewables integration and rising load volatility.

Example: an operator of gas-insulated switchgear that predates today's grid requirements submits the type and serial numbers together with operating-cycle counts. Rather than replacing the substation, the service team scopes a modernization — bay-layout modifications plus additional GIS bays from the same product family to expand capacity, combined with a monitoring retrofit — carried out within an agreed outage window and handed over with updated as-built documentation. The same modernization path applies to transformers, where refurbishment of windings, bushings and OLTCs is combined with a cooling-system retrofit and integrated digital monitoring to extend service life without a full replacement.

1. Identify the unit by type and serial number from the rating plate — the same identification the maintenance and spare-parts flows use — so the service team can match it to its original manufacturing records and as-built configuration.
2. Complete the standard condition checklist: construction year, operating-cycle counts, control and motor voltages, and any visual findings — this establishes the baseline the modernization scope is measured against.
3. State the goal: extend lifetime, expand capacity, meet a new standard (for example SF6 phase-out), add digital monitoring, or optimize performance.
4. The service team proposes a scope — modification and refurbishment, upgrade or uprate, control/monitoring or cyber-security retrofit, or an end-of-life plan — and indicates whether the work is on site or in a workshop.
5. Schedule and outage window are agreed; qualified switchgear or transformer specialists carry out the modernization.
6. You receive documentation of the modernized configuration and follow-up recommendations, so the upgraded unit re-enters the maintenance and spare-parts cycle with its records up to date.

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