Why switchgear is becoming increasingly strategic for Europe's energy sector

Switchgear rarely gets attention outside engineering circles. It sits in plant rooms and substations quietly doing its job, controlling and protecting the flow of electricity through buildings and infrastructure. Yet across the UK and much of Europe it has become one of the most significant constraints in delivering new projects.

At Prism Power we are seeing it constantly. Lead times for both low voltage and medium voltage switchgear have stretched dramatically in the last few years. Equipment that used to be relatively predictable to procure now takes many months to secure, and in some cases considerably longer depending on configuration and factory capacity.

This is not simply a supply chain hangover from the pandemic - what we are seeing now is structural demand.

Data centres driving demand

The most obvious driver is the rapid expansion of data centre infrastructure. 

AI workloads, hyperscale cloud platforms and digital services are pushing power demand to levels the industry has not previously had to deliver at this scale. Data centres are fundamentally electrical facilities. A single hyperscale site can require multiple medium voltage switchboards, extensive low voltage distribution, protection systems and complex redundancy architectures designed to support continuous operation.

Manufacturers understandably prioritise that type of demand. A multi-site data centre programme can represent years of consistent orders, standardised equipment and predictable volumes. Compared with a one-off commercial development the decision from a production perspective is obvious.

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The result is that more traditional commercial projects are now competing for the same manufacturing capacity, but without the same scale or purchasing power. Offices, mixed use schemes, logistics developments and hospitals all still require substantial electrical infrastructure, but they are operating in a market where switchgear production slots are increasingly allocated elsewhere.

That shift is now influencing procurement behaviour across the industry. We are seeing manufacturers decline to quote on smaller packages, or prioritise projects above certain value thresholds. Quote validity periods have become much shorter. Production slots are secured earlier and deposits are higher. In practical terms switchgear is no longer something that can be left until the later stages of a project. It is becoming one of the first major supply chain decisions that needs to be made.

Standards and regulation

What sometimes gets lost in discussions about switchgear lead times is the engineering involved in producing the equipment. Switchgear is not a simple commodity product. Every assembly is effectively engineered for the specific installation. Fault levels, protection coordination, busbar design, thermal limits, enclosure layout and access requirements all have to be carefully configured and verified.

Low voltage assemblies must comply with IEC 61439 requirements and medium voltage equipment with the IEC 62271 family of standards. Equipment often undergoes routine testing and sometimes witnessed testing before leaving the factory. Circuit breakers, protection relays and other critical components also come from specialised suppliers, so the supply chain is interconnected. Increasing production capacity is not simply a case of running an extra shift in a factory.

The industry is also navigating the transition away from SF6 insulated medium voltage equipment. Moving towards alternative insulating technologies is clearly the right environmental direction and the sector is investing heavily in new designs. However introducing new product platforms inevitably places additional pressure on engineering teams and manufacturing processes while legacy equipment is phased out.

These factors become particularly visible at the interface between new developments and the electricity network. Most large buildings connect to the distribution network at medium voltage, which requires intake substations and associated switchgear. Inside the building, low voltage switchboards distribute power to mechanical plant, lighting, data infrastructure and other building systems.

When switchgear availability becomes uncertain it affects the entire programme. Electrical designs have to be frozen earlier, protection philosophies agreed sooner and manufacturers engaged earlier in the process. Increasingly we are advising clients to secure long lead electrical equipment well before traditional procurement timelines would have required it.

The electrification era

There are also operational considerations. 

When projects come under time pressure there can be a temptation to pursue equipment substitutions based purely on availability. In electrical infrastructure that approach needs to be treated very carefully. Switchgear is central to the protection and safety of the entire installation. It determines how faults are cleared, how systems are isolated and how maintenance can be carried out safely. Any changes to the design must be evaluated properly rather than rushed through late in the project.

The broader context is that the UK is entering a period of significant electrification. Data centres are only one part of the picture. Electric transport, heat pumps, distributed generation and grid reinforcement are all increasing demand for electrical equipment at every level of the network.

Manufacturers are responding with investment in new production capacity across Europe and beyond, but industrial expansion takes time. Skilled engineers, specialised components and testing facilities cannot be scaled overnight.

For developers, contractors and energy planners the implication is straightforward. Electrical infrastructure needs to move much earlier in the planning process. Design teams must engage with manufacturers sooner; procurement strategies must recognise longer production cycles and project programmes need to reflect the reality that certain pieces of equipment now define the delivery timeline.

Switchgear is not particularly visible once a building is finished, but it is absolutely fundamental to how that building operates. As electricity demand continues to grow across the economy, ensuring that this equipment can be delivered reliably and safely will become an increasingly important part of the UK’s infrastructure challenge.

At Prism Power we are already adapting by working with manufacturers earlier in the design stage, standardising equipment where possible and helping clients secure long lead items before they become programme risks. 

The wider lesson for the industry is simple. In an electrified economy the systems that control and protect power cannot be treated as an afterthought. They are part of the core infrastructure that everything else depends on.

About the author: 

Adhum Carter Wolde-Lule is a Director at Prism Power Group, a UK provider of critical power infrastructure and modular data centre solutions. With a background in infrastructure development, real estate, and venture investment across the energy and tech sectors, he focuses on advancing resilient power systems and intelligent energy technologies that support the evolving demands of modern industry.