Hitachi Energy, Rockwell Team on Grid-to-Process Systems
The partnership links power infrastructure with production control to address rising industrial electricity demand.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Manufacturing
Hitachi Energy and Rockwell Automation announced a collaboration on an integrated grid-to-process architecture that connects the infrastructure powering industrial facilities with systems that manage production. The initial focus is mining and metals, with potential applications across other energy-intensive industries.
Why it matters
Industrial companies face rising power demand, growing pressure to decarbonize, and tighter constraints on capital investment, meaning electrical systems and production operations can no longer be planned separately. The approach aims to give operators visibility across energy consumption, production performance, and asset utilization.
Analysis estimates growth capital expenditures for new industrial capacity could require $1 trillion USD over the next decade. The source does not specify the methodology behind the estimate or how much of that spending would reach the companies' offerings.
The players
Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy is a global leader in electrification, supplying grid and power infrastructure technologies to utilities and industrial customers worldwide.
Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation is the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, serving manufacturing and process industries.
The details
The companies are combining grid connection, power quality, and energy management expertise from Hitachi Energy with process automation and digital operations expertise from Rockwell Automation. The architecture is designed to coordinate the systems that power facilities with the systems that run production, starting with mining operations that must expand output, modernize, and electrify.
Timeline
November 6, 2026: Collaboration announced.
Market Landscape
The partnership positions Hitachi Energy and Rockwell Automation to address the convergence of grid electrification and industrial automation, a space where electrical and control vendors have traditionally operated as separate suppliers. It reflects a broader industry shift toward bundling power infrastructure with production software as energy-intensive sectors pursue decarbonization.
For plant managers and facility operators, the architecture could change how power upgrades and production system changes are scoped and budgeted together. Customers in energy-intensive industries may see new integrated offerings once the companies move from exploration to solution development.
The takeaway
Industrial operators planning new capacity may need to evaluate electrical infrastructure and production automation together rather than as separate projects. Tracking how the partnership's mining deployments perform will show whether the integrated approach delivers the visibility it promises.
Further reading
Explore more industrial coverage in the Manufacturing section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Crown.
