Honoring Manuel Silvestre – ARWtr2025 Distinguished Member
21st Anniversary of the first ARWtr2004
[Celebrating the 80th Birth Anniversary of Prof. Turowski at ARWtr2007].
We are proud to recognize Manuel Silvestre as the ARWtr2025 Distinguished Member—a title that honors not only a lifetime of dedication, leadership, and passion in the field of power transformers, but also his unwavering support of the ARWtr conference since its very first edition.
A graduate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Porto, Manuel Silvestre da Silva Barbosa began his professional journey at EFACEC Energía in 1971 as a trainee. Over the years, he progressed through every department of the factory—from testing laboratories to design—and became Director of Large Power Transformers in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, he led EFACEC’s joint venture in China. Following that, Manuel played a key role in expanding the company’s operations in the United States. By 2005, he was appointed Managing Member of EFACEC Energía, entrusted with launching the company’s power transformer manufacturing subsidiary in Rincon, Savannah, Georgia, USA.
Now at 82, Manuel continues to inspire with his vitality and spirit—playing tennis every morning and actively competing in tournaments. His personal motto, “Live with passion and enjoy intensely everything we do each day,” perfectly captures the energy and dedication he brings to both his professional and personal life.
As a true pioneer in the transformer community and a long-standing pillar of the ARWtr, please join us in a heartfelt round of applause for Manuel Silvestre!
Memorable Gratitude
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues and friends,
We feel a profound sense of gratitude and fulfilment. These past few days have been a celebration of science, collaboration, and community—set against the backdrop of Baiona’s timeless beauty and cultural richness.
We have listened to inspiring lectures, engaged in rigorous discussions, and witnessed the passion of practitioners working on transformers.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants who made the journey to be here, especially in the face of ongoing global challenges. Your presence has reaffirmed the vitality of the ARWtr family.
To our invited speakers: thank you for sharing your expertise and vision. To our institutional partners and collaborators: your support has been invaluable.
Let us also acknowledge the tireless work of the Organising Committee, the volunteers, and the staff of the University of Vigo.
It has been a personal joy to welcome you once again to Baiona, twenty-one years after the first edition of ARWtr.This village, with its deep historical roots and Atlantic soul, has once again embraced our technical community with warmth and inspiration.
We invite you to carry forward the connections, ideas, and memories forged here. Let ARWtr2025 be not an ending, but a continuation—a catalyst for future collaborations.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Safe travels, and until we meet again…
Prof. Xose M. LOPEZ-FERNANDEZ
On behalf of Organising Committee
Thanks ARWtr2025 Reviewers
Abdelghani Yahiou - University of Bouira, Algeria
Alexander Schmidt - GE Grid Solution, UK
Ali Al-Abadi - Hitachi Energy, Germany
Amit Bakshi Shiv - Nadar University, India
Andreas Cremasco - Hitachi Energy Switzerland
Attila Gyore - M & I Materials, UK
Casimiro Alvarez Mariño - RedINtransf, Spain
Claude Beauchemin - TJH2b Analytical Services, Canada
Diego Robalino - Utilities Transformers at Megger, USA
Enrique Betancourt Ramirez - Prolec GE, Mexico
Eva Müllerová - University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic
Hugo Campelo - Nynas, AB Sweden
Inge Madshaven - SINTEF Energy Research, Norway
Jim McBride - JMX High Voltage, USA
Jose Ignacio Aizpurua - University of Mondragon, Spain
Juan Carlos Olivares - Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico
Juliano Montanha - Siemens Energy, Brazil
Michal Kozioł - Opole University of Technology, Poland
Miguel Cuesto Hitachi Energy Spain
Pablo Pacheco Ramos- DOBLE Engineering, Spain
Pawel Witczak - Lodz University of Technology, Poland
Roberto Rocca - Fundación CIRCE, Spain
Salvador Magdaleno - Magnetic and Electromagnetic Consultant, USA
Sérgio Cabral - FURB Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Brazil
Wei Wu - Transformer Technology Center of Hitachi Energy, Raleigh, USA
Xose M. Lopez-Fernandez - Universidade de Vigo, Spain
Last News
Upcoming Lectures and Speakers
Monitoring. Red Eléctrica’s Approach to Power Transformer Life Management
Luis Navarro Rubio presents Red Eléctrica’s Approach to Power Transformer Life Management. In recent years, improvements in the availability and performance of monitoring tools have enabled progress toward a new mode of asset operation and maintenance based on condition. This presentation outlines how these tools support system security and help reduce life cycle costs. The balance between these two objectives should form the foundation of a strategy for deploying monitoring solutions across both the existing and future fleet of assets [+]
25 Years of Oil Diagnostics in Transmission Grid PT
Mário Soares (Asset Management Engineer, REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais, Portugal) presents valuable insights from a comprehensive 25-year oil diagnostics program conducted on over 200 power transformers within a transmission grid. The findings uncover patterns of transformer aging, early fault indicators, and long-term operational stability [+]
Unlock Physics-Informed AI
Dr. Joxe Aizpurua (Research Fellow, UPV/EHU, Basque Country-Spain) leads the tutorial on Smarter Transformers: Integrating Physics-Informed Machine Learning (PIML). Explore how hybrid intelligence is reshaping AI—merging the rigor of physics-based knowledge with the adaptability of deep learning to advance the next generation of Transformer solutions that are more robust, reliable, and interpretable [+]
AI Application in Transformers
Prof. S.V. Kulkarni (IIT Bombay, IEEE Fellow) explores the groundbreaking
applications of Artificial Intelligence to transformers. Discover how AI is revolutionizing the optimized design, maintenance, and diagnostics of transformers, improving quality and reliability, and predicting their future performance [+]
Call for participation to the ARWtr2025
Dear Colleague engaged or interested in Electrical Transformers,
We are pleased to invite you to participate in-person in The 8th International Advanced Research Workshop on transformers (ARWtr2025), to be held in Baiona at The Parador Royal Palace, Spain, for October (12) 13-15, 2025.
The International ARWtr (Advanced Research Workshop on transformers) conferences have been held every three years since 2004. In this edition, we commemorate the 21 years from the first edition ARWtr2004 in Vigo, hosted by the University of Vigo for the fourth time at The Parador Royal Palace, following the memorables ARWtr2007, ARWtr2013 and ARWtr2022 editions.
This Conference has earned a prominent position in the transformers community during its 21 years of activity. More importantly, it brings together a strongly connected and loyal group of outstanding specialists in their fields.
The ARWtr group has proven to be well-established and recognized for fostering a stimulating atmosphere of practical knowledge exchange and discussion on new challenges faced daily. These challenges involve tracking emerging scenarios that demand cutting-edge solutions or advanced transformer concepts, along with their components and equipment, which are expected to play a vital role in future systems.
The accepted Final Full Papers, finally presented by the corresponding Authors, will be submitted to be posted and published in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Scopus and Web of Science databases.
But most excitingly, we hope to welcome you in person to The Royal Village of Baiona, with its rich cultural heritage and beautiful, unique surroundings, where you can contribute to promoting knowledge while establishing and consolidating lasting collaborative links for the future.
We look forward to seeing you in Baiona!
The ARWtr History in Pictures
Prof. Janusz TUROWSKI (Technological University of Lodz- Poland / Kowel·1927- Lodz·2020) and Prof. Xose M. LOPEZ-FERNANDEZ (University of Vigo- Galicia, Spain)
had the brilliant idea of organizing this international, friendly, and familiar meeting devoted to share the highest level of practical knowledge in the field of transformers.
This is the ARWtr History in Pictures ···>>
About ARWtr Conference [ + ]
Important Dates
Organisers and Early supporters
