Siemens Signs Six-Year Grid Digitalization Contract with Austrian State of Carinthia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 9, Germany's Siemens signed a six-year software contract with Kärnten Netz GmbH, the distribution grid operator in the Austrian state of Carinthia, to deploy the Gridscale X grid digitalization platform, covering low-voltage network monitoring, active operations management, outage management, and grid congestion forecasting. The contract involves the digital management of Carinthia's distribution grid, primarily using digital twins and flexibility resource dispatch to improve the utilization of existing network assets.

Kärnten Netz GmbH is the distribution grid operator in the Austrian state of Carinthia, responsible for operating the local electricity distribution network. The Gridscale X platform procured in this project includes three core applications: LV Insights, which establishes visualization and monitoring capabilities for the low-voltage network; LV Management, which handles active operations and outage management for the low-voltage network; and Flexibility Manager, which forecasts and mitigates grid congestion. The three applications will be integrated into the distribution grid management system, enabling the operator to monitor network operations across different voltage levels.

The platform will establish a digital twin model covering the low-voltage side, incorporating grid topology, operating status, and related data into a unified management system. The operator can use the model to identify potential capacity constraints, analyze changes in electricity load and distributed generation across different areas, and develop congestion management measures in advance. For medium- and high-voltage networks, the platform will also support the identification and dispatch of flexibility resources, enabling distributed energy resources and other adjustable resources to participate in grid operations management.

The main changes facing Carinthia's distribution grid stem from the growing number of distributed photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. According to forecasts published by Siemens, the state's installed PV capacity is expected to nearly double by 2030. As distributed generation scales up, some areas may experience reverse power flows, line load changes, and voltage stability issues, requiring the distribution grid operator to obtain more granular operational data from the low-voltage side.

The adjustment of Austria's electricity industry regulatory framework is also one of the background factors behind this digitalization deployment. Following the implementation of Austria's Electricity Industry Act, local flexibility markets are expected to develop further, and distribution grid operators will assume more responsibilities in identifying network congestion, procuring flexibility services, and managing distributed energy resources. The flexibility management module of Gridscale X will be used to forecast network constraints and identify resources that can participate in adjustment based on operational needs.

After the contract is implemented, Kärnten Netz will manage its existing network assets through digital tools, reducing operational pressure caused by local capacity constraints and supporting outage and congestion management. The contract term is six years, covering platform deployment, feature activation, and subsequent software services.