Information after the ENERGETAB 2023 fair
Three intense days of the 36th international energy fair ENERGETAB are behind us. They were extremely busy for 433 exhibitors, who tried to present their latest and innovative products to potential recipients, satisfy their curiosity and answer all questions that a very large group of visitors to the largest electrical engineering and energy fair in Poland and Central Europe could have.
The ceremonial opening of the fair was performed by the mayor of Bielsko-Biała, Jarosław Klimaszewski, and the symbolic ribbon cutting was performed by numerous honorary guests, including the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy – Grzegorz Puda, MP Mirosława Nykiel, MP Przemysław Koperski, president of the Association of Polish Electricians – Sławomir Cieślik, director of PTPiREE – Wojciech Tabiś, chairman of the ŚlOIIB Council – Roman Karwowski and Dariusz Mrzygłód – president of ZIAD Bielsko-Biała SA – the organizer of the fair.
In their short speeches, they emphasized the challenges facing the Polish energy sector related to the urgent need for its transformation, enabling the development of renewable energy sources and a significant increase in network flexibility while ensuring stable energy supplies and the security of critical infrastructure. During the ceremonial inauguration of the fair, distinctions in the fair competition were also presented, awarded by the competition committee, chaired by Prof. Jakub Kupecki – director of the Power Engineering Institute in Warsaw.
The awards of the ENERGETAB fair enjoy high prestige in the industry, which is why exhibitors submitted as many as 44 newest and most innovative products to the competition. One of the priority investment and modernization tasks in the field of distribution networks is the construction of cable networks, which are more reliable than overhead networks. Hence, the Arinet technology of pulling medium-voltage cables (even several kilometers long) into previously laid cable pipelines, using a specialized Watucab Ψ head, which was awarded the cup of the Polish Electricity Transmission and Distribution Society, aroused great interest. Another technological solution that improves and shortens the construction time of the highest voltage lines (400 kV) was “Prefabricated SF foundations for strong poles”, demonstrated by WPŻ Elbud Gdańsk. The foundation exhibit, which weighed over 50 tons and was approximately 5 m high, and which was awarded the cup of the Silesian District Chamber of Civil Engineers, made a great impression on visitors.
Among the latest devices presented at the fair, a gradual retreat from the use of SF6 gas can be observed. Although SF6 gas has excellent insulating and fire-extinguishing properties, it has a very negative impact on the environment. The presented new devices in which the use of SF6 gas has been eliminated include the LTA 145 D1 EconiQ isolating switch from Hitachi Energy, which was awarded the Silver Medal of the ENERGETAB 2023 fair, the MV ring switchgear up to 24 kV type TPM Air manufactured by ZPUE S.A., awarded the Statuette of the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, and the distinguished SM AirSeT switchgear manufactured by Schneider Electric.
Every year, an important part of the fair exhibition are programmable protection terminals and measurement automation systems. Thus, the Gold Medal of the Polish Transmission Operator (PSE S.A.)was awarded to the TZX-11 protection terminals, which perform protection functions for various types of power station bays, developed and manufactured by the ZPrAE Electrical Equipment Production Plant – a well-known Polish company whose successive busbar protection systems effectively protect numerous HV stations from extremely dangerous internal short circuits. The Gold Medal of the ENERGETAB 2023 fair was awarded to “Protection of medium voltage cable lines with intermittent short circuit detection SO-52v11-AUT”, produced by another Polish company – MIKRONIKA Sp. z o. o., whose SCADA dispatch systems are widely used in the Polish energy industry. It is impossible not to mention the new product of the excellent Polish manufacturer of electromechanical relays, RELPOL S.A., which has just launched the production of a whole family of “semiconductor power relays and controllers”, which work better than electromechanical ones in applications where there is a need for quick and repeated switching. Another advantage of this application is the lack of moving parts.
Among the many systems of energy analysis, monitoring and optimization presented at the fair, the SEMS system from AREX from WB Group was awarded the Cup of the Chamber of Commerce for Energy and Environmental Protection (IGEiOŚ), while the PSIneplan system from PSI Polska, , was awarded the SEP President’s Medal. The fair also featured numerous tools, components and devices useful in construction, assembly, installation and switchgear prefabrication works. Among them, the “Golden Volt” PIGE statuette was awarded to the group of devices for processing busbars “BPS Inteligent Line” from ERKO. The Bronze Medal of the ENERGETAB 2023 fair was presented to the tight aluminum-copper tubular cable lugs type KMA from ZAE ERGOM won and the Swiss “automatic bundle production machine Zeta 620”, submitted by EVOLTEC. The valuable award of the Mayor of Bielsko-Biała was awarded to the “LUXA DOB lighting fixture” from Ledolux Poland, designed for energy-efficient and remotely regulated road lighting. It is also characterized by a low failure rate and long service life (exceeding 100,000 hours).
The new hydrogen technologies and the development of a hydrogen economy, based on the so-called green hydrogen obtained by means of renewable energy sources have been discussed in Poland a lot . New hydrogen strategies and “hydrogen valleys” have also been created. It is believed that the energy transformation in Poland will not be successful without building a sufficiently large hydrogen economy. So far, we have not seen many products directly related to hydrogen technology at the ENERGETAB fair. Therefore, the presentation of a device developed by the Institute of Power Engineering – Research Institute and manufactured within its departments: “Stack of solid oxide electrochemical cells (rSOC)” was awaited with great interest. Depending on the needs of consumers or the network, the presented “stack of cells” can work as a generator of electricity and heat, i.e. work in the fuel cell mode or as a hydrogen generator in the electrolyzer mode. This allows it to be used as an energy store (through a conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy contained in e.g. hydrogen and vice versa). A characteristic feature of this technology is its modularity and easy power scalability – the power increases with the number of stacks connected to each other. The Institute of Power Engineering’s stack is also highly competitive when compared to foreign technologies, as it offers similar operating parameters (e.g. operational stability in a wide load range) with more compact dimensions and much lower costs. All these advantages of the innovative “rSOC stack” resulted in the Institute of Power Engineering receiving the highest distinction in the ENERGETAB fair competition; namely, the Cup of the Minister of Climate and Environment.

It is impossible to list here all the modern, innovative products offered at several hundred fair stands, such as elements and accessories of overhead and cable lines, transformers and container transformer stations, MV and LV switchboards, devices and apparatus for primary and secondary circuits, as well as power generators, specialized vehicles for power industry, lifts, drilling rigs, jacking, wire and cable winches, etc. The “RES Zone” featured demonstrations of environmentally friendly devices and solutions related to electricity generation – mainly photovoltaic panels and mounting structures. Compared to the previous years, the trade fair offer of suppliers and producers of battery energy storage units, both for small prosumers and industrial customers, with significantly higher powers and capacities, was much richer and diversified. Manufacturers of various electric vehicle charging stations and suppliers of new versions of electric cars promoted themselves in the “Electromobility Zone” (these presentations took place also outside the dedicated zone).