Industry leaders convene at MegaWhat Power Electronics Days 2026 to advance the electrification era

Hitachi Energy, a global leader in electrification, recently hosted MegaWhat Power Electronics Days 2026, its flagship Grid Integration event, bringing together key energy ecosystem stakeholders and decision-makers from across the global energy ecosystem in Old Windsor, UK. 

As the world enters the electrification era, discussions throughout the day focused on the evolving challenges of building a grid capable of supporting a fully electrified system powered increasingly by renewable energy. Participants explored how rising electricity demand, growing system complexity, and the need for resilience and affordable power are reshaping priorities across the industry. 

While the technology to enable the energy transition already exists, the pace of progress will depend on how effectively stakeholders collaborate to deliver projects at scale, with speed. 

Hitachi Energy showcased its latest pioneering solutions in power electronics and digital technologies, highlighting how they enable efficient, reliable, and high-capacity transmission of renewable energy. From advanced HVDC and Power Quality solutions, such as STATCOMs and Enhanced-STATCOMs to digital tools supporting the full project lifecycle, the focus was on translating innovation into excellence in project execution. 

Hitachi Energy introduced AxoniQ™, a portfolio that extends traditional HVDC systems to enable efficient and flexible multi-terminal DC networks. Designed to support increasingly interconnected grids, AxoniQ allows planners and transmission system operators to manage power flows dynamically, improve resilience, and optimize infrastructure investments while reducing overall system costs and minimizing energy losses by increasing grid intelligence through advanced power electronics. The portfolio combines protection, control, and switching technologies to enable real-time power routing, rapid fault isolation, and continuous system operation, supporting the development of more reliable, affordable, and sustainable grid infrastructures. 

Beyond large-scale grid infrastructure and system optimization, Hitachi Energy also presented HyFlex® Compact, a zero-emission hybrid generator and flexible power hub designed as an alternative to diesel generation for applications at the edge of the grid. Combining hydrogen fuel cells with batteries and configurable power inputs, HyFlex Compact delivers stable power in both off-grid and grid-connected environments, while its integrated hybrid design allows additional energy sources to be used when available, supporting more efficient operation. As a result, HyFlex Compact supports electrification across a wide range of use cases, from remote industrial sites to temporary infrastructure, bringing clean and reliable power wherever it is needed. 

Hitachi Energy also highlighted how digitalization is enabling greater visibility, control, and optimization across increasingly complex energy systems . VectoPlan™, an innovative platform introduced during the event, enables customers to design fully integrated, multi-energy systems – combining electricity, hydrogen, heat, gas, and storage – to unlock optimal investment strategies, reduce costs, and accelerate decarbonization, while supporting a more holistic approach to energy system planning.

VirtuPlan™ complements this by enabling intelligent orchestration of energy systems, combining advanced optimization of distributed energy resources and engineering expertise to improve performance, reliability, and scalability in real-world operations, targeting large industrial customers. Both solutions are  part of HMAX™ Energy, Hitachi’s AI-powered suite of services and solutions engineered to optimize planning, prediction, and prevention that help safeguard critical energy infrastructure while enhancing operational efficiency and resilience.  

Each of these innovations contributes to a broader vision: building a more interconnected and electrified energy system, where power flows seamlessly across regions, supporting affordability, energy security, and sustainability.

“The electrification era is not just about generating renewable power. It’s about building the systems that make that power usable at scale,” said Niklas Persson, CEO of Grid Integration Business Unit at Hitachi Energy. “Today, the challenge is less about technology and more about how we design and connect our energy systems to deliver reliable, affordable power where it’s needed. Early commitment and closer partnership models are increasingly important to accelerate delivery at the speed required. By combining strong partnerships with system-level thinking and advanced technologies, we can turn ambition into reality.”

The event reinforced MegaWhat Power Electronics Days’ role as a platform for peer-level dialogue and collaboration, where industry leaders come together not only to share perspectives, but to align on how to move forward.