The first of the new offerings will integrate Bentley Systems’ utility design and geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities with Siemens’ Power System Simulation (PSS) suite, with solutions for power transmission, power distribution, and industrial facilities.

The Siemens PSS suite is widely used at mining operations to calculate power requirements and plan how much energy needs to be imported or exported from the grid. “Our OpenUtilities solution can help with this regarding geographical information and mapping network models,” a Bentley spokesperson told MM. “Also, these complexes also have their own substations and our design tools have been integrated with Siemens hardware components to make it easier for them to carry out any engineering required.”

Distributed energy resources (DER), like microgrids and their off-grid on-grid mode, require more advanced planning approaches to ensure system reliability and stability. Combining Bentley and Siemens’ solutions will allow better data integration, supporting optimal network design for both operational and economic performance. Through a connected data environment, utility engineers will now be able to share critical design information to reduce design time and construction costs.

“The energy industry trend toward decentralisation represents a significant challenge as well as a great opportunity for power producers and consumers alike, and our strategic alliance with Bentley Systems will help our customers better leverage this changing landscape through the combination of our solutions,” said Ralf Christian, CEO of the Siemens Energy Management Division.

The Siemens Bentley initiative will also provide intelligent Siemens components for easy placement into Bentley’s Substation application for 3-D modelling, while intelligent electrical symbols will provide necessary details for comprehensive reports in a substation’s 2-D schematic layout capabilities. Bentley users will have access to a Siemens’ components catalogue through Bentley’s cloud services.