Workshop: Direct Current for Industry

Smarter Ways to Deal with Grid Congestion

On Thursday, 26 March 2026, the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT) and Stichting Gelijkspanning Nederland are organising an inspiration workshop dedicated to the future of industrial energy systems based on Direct Current (DC). During this day, hosted by ABB, you will discover how DC technology can be implemented at industrial sites. This is the moment to explore its strategic value and learn more about DC for Industries.

Direct Current as a game changer

Electrification of industry is progressing rapidly – through heat pumps, e-boilers, EV charging, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and smart energy grids with (local) solar and wind energy. Yet, companies are often faced with two obstacles: grid congestion and the limits of conventional AC infrastructure.

Direct Current (DC) can be a game changer for the next generation of industrial energy systems. With simplified energy management, improved stability, better integration of storage and renewables, enhanced efficiency, and reduced peak loads, DC grids open new opportunities where AC grids reach their limits.

Join this day to learn about the technical, operational, and strategic implications of DC and how it can help your organisation move faster, smarter, and more cost-effectively in the energy transition.

Agenda

• 12:00 – Welcome Lunch & Networking
  A relaxed start to meet peers, innovators, and experts from the DC community.
• 13:00 – Opening & Introduction: Why Direct Current Matters Now
  Speakers: Henry Lootens (Moderator), Harry Stokman (Stichting Gelijkspanning Nederland)
  An introduction into the challenges of today’s industrial electrification and why DC is rapidly becoming a viable alternative to conventional AC-based system design.
• 13:30 – Keynote: From Vision to Reality: Inside an Energy‑Positive DC Factory
  Speaker: Tobias Lüke (Phoenix Contact)
  A deep dive into Phoenix Contact’s pioneering DC Factory: how it was built, what works, what doesn’t, and what industries can realistically expect from DC integration in the coming years.
• 14:15 – DC Developments: Standards, platforms & the emerging DC Ecosystem
  Speaker: Laurens Mackay (DC Opportunities / Current OS / ODCA)
  An overview of the fast-moving DC ecosystem, from open standards to interoperability and practical frameworks enabling wider industrial adoption.
• 14:35 – Break
  Coffee, tea, and time to meet peers and presenters
• 15:00 – Expert Session DC in Practice: Industrial use cases, system integration & technology trends
  A multi-perspective session covering the latest developments:
  - Why industry is moving toward DC – Umer Mushtaq (Nobian)
  - Integrating DC in industrial drives & systems – Louis Michielsens (Van Meer)
  - DC in Maritime & Datacenters: Reliability at scale – Pavel Purgat (ABB Electrification and Motion)
  - Medium-Voltage DC: The next frontier  –  Simone Bertolucci and Wolfgang  Voss (Siemens Energy)
• 17:00 – Drinks & Bites
  Continue discussions and exchange ideas with speakers and fellow industry leaders.

Practical Information

Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Location: ABB, Frankeneng 15, Ede, Netherlands
Audience: Industrial end-users, engineers, energy managers, strategists, technology suppliers
Participants: Max. 50
Registration: ispt.eu/events/inspiration-workshop-direct-current-for-industry
For questions, please contact marta.konopinska@ispt.eu