Viking Says U.S. Utility Approved Proceeding With Expanded Grid Protection Pilot
Viking Global Technologies says a major U.S. electric utility has approved proceeding with an expanded evaluation of its Grid Protection Technology across approximately 18 high-risk transmission circuits.
Viking Global Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB:VGTK) said on October 20, 2026 that a major U.S. electric utility has approved proceeding with an expanded evaluation of its Grid Protection Technology. The pilot is expected to cover approximately 18 transmission circuits identified by the utility as being in high-risk areas, although implementation and integration dates have not been established.
The circuits are expected to operate at voltages ranging from approximately 115 kV to 230 kV. Individual line lengths are expected to range from approximately 7 to 42 miles.
The evaluation will involve integrating Viking’s detection logic into compatible existing protective relays. Its initial phase is expected to use a monitoring-only configuration, allowing the utility to review the technology’s performance without initiating protective tripping actions.
Viking Protection Systems, LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary of Viking Global Technologies, developed the Grid Protection Technology.
Viking describes the system as a patented, relay-based solution designed to identify electrical signatures linked to broken or open conductors. The company says the technology is intended to detect certain conditions that conventional protective systems may not identify before a conductor reaches the ground.
The system is designed to enable affected circuits to be de-energized before ground contact and to work with compatible digital protective relays. Viking says it is intended for both transmission and distribution applications and to complement existing protection schemes related to grid reliability, public safety and wildfire mitigation.
The expanded evaluation follows earlier technical work by the utility, including live testing on one transmission line earlier this year. Viking said the technology met the applicable testing criteria and detected the targeted electrical conditions under the scenarios assessed.
However, the company also stated that results from a limited test may not indicate how the system will perform across additional circuits or operating conditions. The newly approved evaluation is expected to generate further operational data from circuits with different line lengths, voltage levels and electrical characteristics.
The initial monitoring-only phase is intended to support data collection and review before any consideration of later operating configurations. The scope and timing of the evaluation may change, and the utility may delay, modify or discontinue the pilot.
Viking said the pilot does not represent a commitment by the utility to purchase, license or commercially deploy the technology. The company also said there can be no assurance that the pilot will be successful or lead to a commercial agreement or revenue.
James A. Doris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viking Global Technologies, said the approval provides an opportunity for the utility to assess the company’s detection logic across a wider range of operating conditions. He also pointed to integration with compatible relays as a feature of the technology while utilities consider grid safety, reliability and wildfire risk mitigation.
Viking Global Technologies focuses on developing and commercializing technologies addressing critical infrastructure protection and environmental challenges. The company said it continues to pursue technical evaluations, utility engagement and pilot initiatives involving transmission and distribution applications.
Viking Global Technologies announced that a major U.S. electric utility has approved proceeding with an expanded pilot evaluation of the company’s proprietary Grid Protection Technology, developed by its majority-owned subsidiary, Viking Protection Systems, LLC. The pilot remains subject to further coordination, and it does not constitute a commitment to purchase, license or commercially deploy the technology.
Viking Global Technologies announced the approval on October 20, 2026. The announcement covers an expanded pilot evaluation whose specific implementation and integration dates have not been established.
The expanded Viking Global Technologies pilot is expected to involve approximately 18 transmission circuits. The utility has designated the circuits as being in high-risk areas.
The circuits included in Viking Global Technologies’ expanded pilot operate at voltages ranging from approximately 115 kilovolts (kV) to 230 kV. Individual line lengths range from approximately 7 to 42 miles.
The pilot is intended to evaluate Viking Global Technologies’ Grid Protection Technology across a broader range of transmission assets and operating conditions by integrating its proprietary detection logic into existing protective relays. The initial phase is expected to operate in a monitoring-only configuration so the utility can assess performance without initiating protective tripping actions.
Viking Global Technologies’ patented, relay-based technology is designed to identify electrical signatures associated with broken or open conductors, including conditions that may not be detected by conventional protective systems before a conductor contacts the ground. The company says the technology is designed to enable de-energisation of affected circuits before ground contact and to integrate into compatible existing digital protective relays.
Viking Global Technologies says its Grid Protection Technology is designed for both transmission and distribution applications. The technology is intended to complement existing protection schemes and support utility initiatives focused on grid reliability, public safety and wildfire mitigation.
The expanded pilot follows technical evaluations by the utility, including testing earlier this year under live conditions on one of its transmission lines. Viking Global Technologies said the technology satisfied the applicable testing criteria and detected targeted electrical conditions under the evaluated scenarios, while also stating that results from a limited test may not be indicative of performance across additional circuits or operating conditions.
The expanded Viking Global Technologies pilot is expected to provide additional operational data and help assess the technology’s performance across a more diverse range of transmission-system conditions. The evaluation will involve circuits with varying line lengths, voltage levels and electrical characteristics.
James A. Doris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viking Global Technologies, said the approval gives the utility an opportunity to evaluate the company’s proprietary detection logic across a wider range of operating conditions. He said the company believes integration into compatible relays is an important advantage, particularly as utilities prioritise grid safety, reliability and wildfire risk mitigation.
Viking Global Technologies said the expanded pilot is intended to support the participating utility’s assessment of the technology’s potential application within its transmission network and its broader commercialisation efforts. The pilot does not constitute a commitment to purchase, license or commercially deploy the technology, and the company said there can be no assurance that it will be successful or result in a commercial agreement or revenue.
Specific implementation and integration dates are to be determined through further coordination, and the initial monitoring-only configuration is intended to allow data collection and review before any consideration of subsequent operating configurations. Viking Global Technologies said the scope and timing may change, and that the utility may delay, modify or discontinue the pilot.
Viking Global Technologies’ shares trade on the OTCQB under the ticker symbol VGTK, written in the source as OTCQB:VGTK.
Viking Global Technologies focuses on developing and commercialising technologies addressing critical infrastructure protection and environmental challenges. Through its subsidiaries, the company is advancing proprietary grid protection technologies and other solutions intended to address operational, environmental and safety needs.