LENA at the IEEE MELECON 2026 in Cairo
The 2026 IEEE 23rd Mediterranean Electrotechnical Conference (MELECON) took place from February 2–4, 2026, at the Pyramisa Suites Hotel in Cairo. IEEE MELECON is one of the flagship conferences of IEEE Region 8 and serves as a prominent international platform for researchers and industry professionals in electrical and electronic engineering. The conference brought together experts from academia and industry to discuss recent developments in power systems, renewable integration, advanced control strategies, power electronics, and emerging energy technologies.
Contributions
Yashwanth Akuthota, M.Sc. student, represented the LENA Chair with the paper titled “Integrated Prequalification for Combined Delivery of Instantaneous and Primary Reserves in Germany,” co-authored with Christoph Sauer, João P. S. Cipriani, Arpit Shah, Martin Wolter, and Humberto Pinheiro. The study presented a unified technical framework enabling inverter-based resources to simultaneously provide Instantaneous Reserve (IR) and Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR) under the German VDE-FNN and SOGL regulatory requirements.
Figure 1: Y. Akuthota during his presentation.
The research focused on the development and validation of a 4.5 MW grid-forming Virtual Synchronous Machine (VSM), allocating 2 MW for IR and 2 MW for FCR provision. Through detailed modeling and simulation, the work demonstrated RoCoF-based inertial response compliant with VDE-FNN guidelines, droop-controlled frequency support meeting FCR activation timelines, voltage ride-through capability under transient disturbances, and stable damping characteristics above regulatory thresholds. Furthermore, the study introduced a dynamic separation and quantification of IR and FCR power contributions during composite frequency events, confirming that coordinated ancillary service delivery can be achieved using a single energy storage asset while maintaining regulatory compliance and system stability. The presentation generated positive feedback from participants, particularly regarding the integrated approach to ancillary service provision in low-inertia power systems.
Conference Highlights
The conference program included technical workshops, keynote speeches, plenary sessions, and oral paper presentations. The first day featured specialized workshops followed by a welcome session that enabled networking among participants. The second day included keynote lectures and technical oral sessions delivered by authors from various institutions. The evening concluded with a gala dinner held on a Nile cruise, providing an opportunity for informal discussions and cultural exchange. The final day continued with oral technical sessions and concluded with a guided visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum, offering participants insight into Egypt’s historical and cultural heritage.
Participation in MELECON 2026 provided valuable exposure to international research developments and strengthened academic visibility in the field of grid-forming technologies and inverter-based resources. The event offered excellent opportunities for scientific exchange, networking, and establishing new professional connections within the global power systems community.
Acknowledgment
The LENA Chair expresses sincere appreciation to the MELECON 2026 organizing and chair committee for the excellent coordination and professional execution of the conference. Participation in MELECON 2026 highlights the LENA Chair’s continued commitment to advancing research in real-time simulation, grid-forming control, and resilient power system operation.