From the Bentley Year in Infrastructure (YII) 2026 Awards Series
Digital technologies are changing how infrastructure is designed, delivered, and managed. From AI and digital twins to cloud-based collaboration and connected data environments, organizations worldwide are using technology to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and support more sustainable project outcomes.
Bentley YII 2026 received more than 300 project submissions from 53 countries. An independent jury, including ARC Advisory Group, selected winners across 12 categories, while Bentley’s founders and executives selected 17 Founders’ Honor Award recipients to recognize standout projects that reflect Bentley’s mission. The Transmission and Distribution category featured three finalists demonstrating innovative approaches to grid infrastructure delivery: APD Global’s Clean Energy Link – North: AI-Driven Digital Delivery for Renewables in Australia; Dar International for Engineering Consultancy’s Nariyah 380 kV GIS Substation Project in Saudi Arabia; and NV5’s utility infrastructure protection risk-mapping project in the United States and India.
This series introduces each project and explores how digital technologies are helping transform the power transmission and distribution sector.
Transmission and Distribution Category Winner: APD Global
APD Global: Clean Energy Link – North: AI-Driven Digital Delivery for Renewables
Selected as the winner of the Transmission and Distribution category, APD Global’s Clean Energy Link – North project demonstrates how Bentley Systems’ connected digital ecosystem and AI-enabled engineering workflows can improve delivery of large-scale transmission infrastructure.
The project is a major transmission infrastructure upgrade in Western Australia and a key component of the state’s renewable energy transition. It includes upgrades to multiple 132 kV and 330 kV substations and terminals, along with approximately 300 kilometers of transmission infrastructure. Once completed, it will strengthen the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), support the integration of up to 1 GW of renewable energy generation, and facilitate the gradual retirement of aging coal-fired power stations.
APD Global is an international engineering consultancy specializing in power and energy infrastructure. The company delivers complex transmission, substation, and renewable energy projects for utility operators and infrastructure owners across multiple regions. Combining engineering expertise with advanced digital delivery practices, APD Global focuses on improving project quality, reducing risk, and accelerating infrastructure delivery through connected engineering workflows.
For Clean Energy Link – North, APD Global was responsible for delivering multidisciplinary design packages across five geographically dispersed sites. The work covered electrical primary and secondary systems, protection and control, structural steelwork, reinforced concrete, civil works, and transmission line engineering. With teams operating across Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur, maintaining design consistency, coordination efficiency, and delivery certainty was a significant challenge.
Bentley Solutions Applied to the Project
To support multidisciplinary collaboration and digital delivery, APD Global implemented a connected Bentley technology environment that enabled several key workflows and outcomes:
Improved data management and cross-team collaboration through ProjectWise.
Enabled model federation, digital validation, and integrated design reviews using Bentley Infrastructure Cloud, iTwin, and Cesium.
Streamlined multidisciplinary engineering design and documentation with MicroStation, OpenBuildings Designer, OpenUtilities, Promis.e, Bentley Raceway and Cable Management, ProStructures, and PLS-CADD. These solutions supported electrical, protection and control, structural, civil, and transmission line design.
Reduced coordination risks through clash detection and issue tracking using Bentley’s model-based review workflows.
Enhanced construction sequencing and constructability planning with SYNCHRO.
Improved stakeholder communication and design visualization through LumenRT.
Together, these solutions enabled automated drawing generation, quantity takeoffs, model-based reviews, and connected workflows. They improved coordination, reduced manual effort, and supported collaboration among teams in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur. The integrated Bentley ecosystem also helped maintain quality, delivery certainty, and project consistency throughout the design process.
AI-Driven Innovation in Engineering Delivery
A key project innovation was the integration of generative AI into established engineering workflows rather than its deployment as a standalone solution. This approach was particularly beneficial for secondary schematic drawings, which accounted for more than 70 percent of project deliverables and had previously required extensive manual review.
By reducing manual review requirements, the AI-assisted workflows allowed engineering teams to focus on higher-value design and coordination tasks while maintaining engineering oversight and accountability. The workflows were used to:
Automate consistency checks across engineering deliverables.
Verify compliance with project standards and technical specifications.
Identify discrepancies and design conflicts.
Improve standardization across design packages.
Automate repetitive validation activities.
Key Achievements
The combination of Bentley’s connected digital ecosystem and AI-enabled workflows delivered significant benefits across project delivery, collaboration, and sustainability:
Saved more than 8,000 engineering hours, reducing design time by 15 percent and improving documentation efficiency by 20 percent.
Achieved key milestones 38 percent ahead of schedule through streamlined digital delivery and automated workflows.
Reduced coordination cycles by 30 percent and projected downstream rework by 20 percent through model-based reviews and clash detection.
Improved collaboration across four locations, contributing to an estimated 25 percent reduction in travel requirements.
Reduced overdesign and material usage by 10–15 percent, supporting more efficient project outcomes.
Enabled the integration of up to 1 GW of renewable energy generation, helping strengthen Western Australia’s electricity network.
Summary
As Marco Surace, Chief Engineer – Gridworks, noted: “This project shows what can be achieved when proven engineering practices are combined with the right digital tools. We delivered faster, with greater consistency and confidence, while setting a clear foundation for future digital delivery.”
The Clean Energy Link – North project demonstrates how connected digital technologies and AI-enabled workflows can streamline delivery of complex transmission infrastructure. By leveraging Bentley’s integrated engineering environment, APD Global strengthened cross-team collaboration, improved design quality, mitigated project risks, and accelerated delivery.
By enabling the integration of up to 1 GW of renewable energy into Western Australia’s power grid, the project supports the state’s energy transition. It also illustrates how digital engineering, connected data, digital twins, and AI can support more efficient infrastructure delivery at scale. Beyond its direct benefits, the project offers a practical, replicable model for future transmission developments worldwide.