GM to Install IONATE’s Smart Grid Technology at Michigan Plant

General Motors is installing IONATE’s Hybrid Intelligent Transformer (HIT) at its 900,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Romulus, Michigan, to help improve power management and reduce disruptions.

IONATE’s Hybrid Intelligent Transformer

The HIT is designed to detect and correct power flow problems in real time before they disrupt plant operations or the surrounding electricity grid. It also provides real-time data on power quality and energy consumption, and is designed to integrate into existing substations without major infrastructure changes or extended downtime.

IONATE is a UK-based deep-tech energy company, and the installation at GM will be the first use of its smart transformer technology in the United States. The system operates at more than 99% efficiency and can, in average deployment scenarios, accommodate 33% more distributed energy resources, carry 25% more power without upgrading poles and wires, and reduce power losses by 6%.

GM’s Romulus Plant

GM’s Romulus plant recently received a $300 million investment to expand production of 10-speed transmissions used in the company’s full-size trucks and SUVs.

Engineering teams from both companies are completing testing of US-standard 3MVA IEEE units ahead of installation at the Romulus plant. The companies could potentially also expand the technology to other GM manufacturing facilities.

credit: Thomas