Bentley Systems,  is a global leader in software solutions for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, said it has joined hands with technology giant Siemens to jointly offer planning and design solutions for utilities in the Middle East region.

Building on the strategic alliance between the duo that was made public in November last year, Siemens’ energy management division and Bentley Systems have inked a deal to jointly develop solutions to accelerate digitalisation of planning, design, and operations for power utilities and industrial power customers.

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 specific solutions for power transmission, power distribution, and industrial facilities, said a statement from the company.

Combining these two platforms provides customers with Bentley’s expertise in 3D infrastructure asset modeling and GIS with Siemens’ knowledge and renowned experience in energy system planning and simulation.

Bentley Systems chief product officer Bhupinder Singh said the company was excited to collaborate with Siemens to help our power utilities users advance in ‘going digital.’

"Siemens’ expertise in electrical power systems planning and simulation are the perfect complement to our GIS and infrastructure engineering solutions, and we will work together to bring new innovations and tangible business benefits to our users around the world," he remarked.

Distributed energy resources (DER), like microgrids and their off-grid on-grid mode, require more advanced planning approaches to ensure system reliability and stability.

Bentley’s OpenUtilities solution for utility power grid design and GIS will be integrated with Siemens’ PSS Suite for power system planning to provide seamless workflows and data integration, while supporting optimal network design for both operational and economic performance, said the statement.

On the tieup, Ralf Christian, the CEO of the Siemens energy management division, said: "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 powerful solutions."

“Siemens and Bentley share a commitment to openness, interoperability, and the common goal of helping our customers drive the digital enterprise across their supply chains,” he stated.

Through a connected data environment, utility engineers will now have the added benefit of sharing critical design information to reduce design time and construction costs to deliver optimal and comprehensive utility network updates, explained Christian.

In addition, the Siemens Bentley initiative will provide intelligent Siemens components for easy placement into Bentley’s Substation application for 3D modeling, while intelligent electrical symbols will provide necessary details for comprehensive reports in a substation’s 2D schematic layout capabilities, said the company  statement.

Bentley users will have access to a comprehensive Siemens’ components catalog through Bentley’s cloud services, it added.-TradeArabia News Service