Russian Power Grid Goes Digital to Boost Reliability in the Urals
Russia is modernizing key substations in the Southern Urals, betting on homegrown tech to make its power grid faster and more resilient.
Engineers at PJSC Rosseti – MES Urals have completed a digital overhaul of three strategically important substations in the Southern Urals, replacing aging control systems with advanced, locally developed IT platforms.
according to UralBusinessConsulting.
The new technology replaces outdated telemetry equipment, allowing operators to analyze protective systems in real time, forecast loads more accurately, and quickly troubleshoot issues. This upgrade is particularly critical for ensuring stable energy supplies to the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works — one of Russia’s largest metallurgical plants — and other major industrial hubs in the Chelyabinsk region.
By the end of 2026, similar systems will be installed at 14 more high-voltage substations across the Urals, including those serving the country’s oil and gas fields.
The digital push is part of a larger national strategy aimed at reinforcing the reliability and security of Russia’s power transmission infrastructure — a priority for a country where industrial output depends heavily on uninterrupted energy flows.
