Volue’s Power Grid activity looks set to grow across the Nordics

Looking ahead  

 Since stepping into my role as Volue’s Senior Vice President for Power Grid earlier this month, I have travelled extensively across the Nordics, participating in industry events and meeting with the leadership teams of several of our customers. These interactions have been invaluable and have offered me important insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by the distribution system operators (DSOs).  

 It has been fascinating to observe a unifying trend. That is to say, regardless of their specific circumstances, that all operators are striving to address the same fundamental challenge as efficiently as possible: to develop and operate their grids in a cost-effective manner while maintaining security and quality of supply. Volue is well placed to support them.  

Enabling our customers to streamline and automate processes  

 DSOs play a critical role in enabling the electrification of society, a cornerstone of achieving our global climate goals. Simultaneously, they are responsible for ensuring energy security by delivering reliable electricity around the clock. As consumers, we expect electricity to be readily available whenever we need it, and ensuring this continuity remains of vital importance for any operator.  

At Volue, we are dedicated to supporting our customers in fulfilling this vital societal role. Our innovative software solutions enable grid companies to streamline and automate their processes related to development, maintaining, analysing and managing their power grid. I look forward to the continued use by our customers across the Nordics.   

Electrification remains a driver of change  

The electrification of society, as I mentioned above, presents significant challenges related to existing grid capacity. In turn, this requires careful consideration of investment strategies and flexibility measures. Moreover, the integration of distributed renewable energy sources adds further complexity. The power grid was originally designed for one-way power flow and must now accommodate bi-directional flows, necessitating innovative solutions to maintain stability and capacity restrictions. As the demand for new grid infrastructure grows, grid companies are also faced with the unprecedented challenge of constructing new infrastructure at a pace unseen before.  

 Climate change also introduces additional variables, such as more frequent extreme weather events. These underline the importance of performing sufficient and risk-based maintenance and preparing for resilience. At Volue, we constantly strive to streamline work processes and ensure that information is combined in ways that allow utility companies to make the best decisions at any given time.  

 Effective communication with stakeholders, most notably customers, is also essential for the grid operators. Volue’s Advanced Distribution Management System supports real time grid operations related to both outage management and daily tasks like planned work on the grid. The solution gives decision support with tools for network analyses to optimise the operation of the grid, and enable streamlined communication with customers, field crews, customer centres and the rest of the organisation. This is just one example of the range of products and solutions we offer to the sector.  

Placing customers at the centre of activity  

Our products centre on four core areas: grid documentation and data management, grid planning and analytics, grid connection services, and grid operations. Yet it is simply not enough to offer products to the market. By maintaining an open dialogue with our customers, we ensure that our priorities, and by association, our solutions, align with their requirements. I have personally initiated discussions with the CEOs and directors of many of our customers, fostering meaningful conversations to position Volue as their trusted partner, and this will continue through 2025 and beyond.  

I would argue that our strength lies in the combination of high domain expertise and market-leading products that deliver success for our customers. However, maintaining this leadership position requires collaboration. We are committed to working closely with others in the sector, fostering partnerships that drive mutual benefit and growth. I look forward to announcing more on these partnerships over the coming weeks and months.  

By fostering collaboration, listening to our customers, and leveraging our expertise, we are confident in our ability to support grid companies and operators as they navigate this period of significant transformation. Together, we will build a resilient and sustainable power grid across the Nordics.