Top 5 Ways Process Instrumentation Can Modernise Aging Energy Infrastructure in the UK in 2026
20 January 2026
The UK power generation sector is evolving rapidly as it pursues net zero targets, integrates renewables and faces the retirement of ageing plants. For operators of existing assets — from energy-from-waste facilities to gas turbines and grid balancing plants — the challenge isn’t just generating power, but doing so reliably, efficiently and in compliance with tightening regulations.
Rather than costly rebuilds, one of the most effective modernisation levers is process instrumentation — advanced measurement, smart sensing and digital connectivity that optimise operations from the ground up. Here are the top five ways instrumentation will modernise ageing energy infrastructure in the UK in 2026 and beyond.
Transforming Maintenance with Smart, Predictive Sensing
Legacy analogue sensors provide limited insight, often forcing maintenance teams into reactive workflows — only discovering failures after they happen. Modern smart instruments, however, continuously report performance health, sensor drift and diagnostics in real time. These data streams enable predictive maintenance programs that significantly reduce unplanned downtime and extend asset life.
At the Rookery South Energy-from-Waste (EfW) Power Station in the UK, site-wide instrument calibration was implemented to ensure accurate measurement across critical systems. By upgrading and calibrating instruments, operators gain confidence in measurement integrity, helping avoid unexpected stoppages and supporting reliable power output.
Driving Energy Efficiency with High-Accuracy Instruments
Accurate measurement is foundational to efficiency from combustion control in gas turbines to steam and heat recovery. Older meters with wide tolerances can mask inefficiencies, leading to avoidable fuel use and higher emissions.
Upgrading to advanced flowmeters (e.g., Coriolis, thermal mass), drift-resistant pressure and temperature transmitters and inline analysers gives plant engineers the actionable data needed to fine-tune processes and reduce energy waste.
Precise flow monitoring such as the MCERTS-approved flow meter for stack discharge used at a UK facility, makes emissions reporting and process control more reliable, while ensuring compliance with environmental expectations.
Enhancing Safety and Environmental Compliance
Older plants were often built before today’s stringent safety and emissions standards. Modern instrumentation helps bridge that gap through real-time monitoring and safety-rated hardware.
Solutions like SIL-rated transmitters, gas analysers, continuous emissions monitoring and integrated leak detection allow operators to maintain tighter control over safety-critical loops and environmental performance.
In a carbon reduction initiative, advanced Siemens SITRANS differential pressure transmitters with remote diaphragm seals were supplied to maintain stable process measurements under challenging conditions, supporting a carbon capture project’s reliability and compliance.
For more information about Environmental Compliance and Emissions Monitoring solutions check out our Green Energy Hub
Bringing Legacy Plants Online
One of the biggest hurdles with ageing infrastructure is connectivity. Many UK energy sites still rely on analogue outputs and isolated control systems that can’t communicate with modern asset management or analytics platforms.
Instrumentation upgrades including digital transmitters with HART, fieldbus and IIoT gateways — allow legacy systems to feed real-time data into cloud-based analytics and plant performance dashboards without full control system replacements.
This retro-digitalisation unlocks visibility across systems and lays the groundwork for advanced optimisation, remote monitoring and condition-based maintenance.
Supporting the Energy Transition with Next-Gen Measurement Tools
As the UK integrates hydrogen, biogas, CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage) and energy storage systems, measurement requirements evolve. Many older instruments aren’t designed to deal with blended gases, low-pressure high-temperature processes, or purity analysis.
Modern instrumentation platforms handle these complex conditions ensuring accurate measurement of hydrogen blends, biogas injection points and emissions, which supports safe operations as the energy mix changes.
Although less common, projects like flow measurement of hydrogen for combustion applications point toward how advanced instrumentation is used to enable next-generation energy solutions across the UK and Europe.
For today’s UK power generation operators, modernising ageing energy infrastructure doesn’t necessarily require multimillion-pound rebuilds. Instead, targeted instrumentation upgrades deliver measurable benefits in uptime, efficiency, compliance and long-term operability all while supporting the UK’s ambitious energy transition goals.
From energy-from-waste plants optimising emissions reporting to carbon capture projects needing robust level and pressure measurement, instrumentation is a practical, high-impact step on the journey to a more sustainable, digitalised energy future.