German transmission system operator TransnetBW has commissioned Siemens to retrofit a large substation as part of up grid upgrades needed to integrate more wind.
Siemens will supply the new switchgear for the 380 kV Daxlanden substation in Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg. The commissioning of the turnkey solution at Daxlanden – one of the largest substations in Germany – will take place in stages and will be completed in 2029.
The order is priced in the low triple-digit millions of euros range, according to Siemens.
The kit, which includes two gas-insulated indoor switchgear, initially with 26 panels, will boost the substation’s transmission capacity and facilitate the increasing levels of wind generated electricity on the high voltage grid.
Replacing sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) with treated air, so-called ‘clean air’, as the insulating medium in the bus ducts simultaneously ensures a more “climate-friendly” operation.
TransnetBW chief executive Werner Gotz said, “The substation is largest network node and one of the largest in Europe. So it will be key to national and international power transit from the north to the south and to local supply in the Karlsruhe region.
“With our experienced partner Siemens, we have chosen an environmentally friendly solution that will set standards for the future of energy in Germany.”
The ‘clean air’ technology will be used in all of the substation’s bus ducts used for connecting overhead lines and transformers as well as in the connecting lines between the two switchgear.
The compressed air-insulated components, which can also be used at high operating voltages, have “significant benefits” over other insulating media, enabling the retrofitted Daxlanden substation to save significantly on carbon dioxide emissions.
The switchgear, which emits no toxic decomposition products, can be operated with no additional measures, and at extreme temperatures.
The TSO will no longer need to report the quantities of fluorine gas used.