WEG to present arc-resistant medium-voltage drive design at PCIC Middle East 2026

WEG will use PCIC Middle East 2026, held on 10–11 November in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, to show how medium-voltage variable frequency drives for oil and gas can be made safer, with a technical presentation on arc-resistant enclosure design and evaporative cooling.

According to WEG’s announcement of 29 September 2026, the session will be presented by Florent Baldeck, Business Development Manager for Oil & Gas in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The underlying technical paper was authored by Joable Andrade Alves, Product Development & Engineering Consultant at WEG.

Containing internal arc faults

The presentation focuses on two design principles used to mitigate internal arc faults in medium-voltage drive cabinets: compartmentalisation and controlled pressure management. It will also cover evaporative cooling, which WEG says improves thermal efficiency while reducing the heat load in electrical rooms.

Target applications include compressors, pumps, gas and water injection and LNG facilities. “Medium-voltage drives play a critical role in many oil and gas processes, so their design needs to address more than electrical performance alone,” said Alves, pointing to safety, availability and thermal management as equal design requirements.

MVW3000 in service at Ras Markaz

WEG’s medium-voltage drive range includes the MVW01 and MVW3000. As a reference, the company cites Oman’s Ras Markaz crude oil storage terminal, where four MVW3000 drives are in operation.

Baldeck describes PCIC as the place “where the industry gets into detail” on the electrical challenges of critical oil and gas operations.

Sources

• WEG Europe & Middle East, “WEG to highlight safer medium-voltage drive technology at PCIC Middle East”, 29 September 2026 – wegpress.net

Image: WEG