Bleibach substation back in operation after upgrades

2022-7-5 Netze BW

The Bleibach transformer substation has been put into operation after work to expand and modernise the site was completed.

Netze BW GmbH invested around €8.5 million to extensively expand and modernise the substation. In the course of the renewal work, which began at the end of 2019, the existing 110 kV outdoor system and the 20 kV indoor system were replaced with more powerful and modern equipment, and an additional third 40 megavolt ampere transformer was installed.

“Netze BW is the long-standing and reliable partner of the municipality of Gutach im Breisgau in matters of energy supply. The transformer station also plays a central role in supplying the surrounding communities in the Elztal. Particularly against the background of the expansion of renewable energies, the renewal of the transformer station was important. We are glad that Netze BW has expanded the Bleibach site to make it fit for the future,” says Gutach’s mayor Sebastian Rötzer.

Michael Gutjahr, Head of Regional Centres Baden-Franconia at Netze BW, emphasises the great importance of the substation for grid stability and the increasing feed-in of electricity from renewable energies: “The top priority for us as a grid operator and partner of the municipalities is security of supply in all segments such as electricity, gas and water. The reliable inclusion of electricity from renewable energies in our grids is an important building block for the development of a decentralised generation logic and strengthens self-sufficiency in energy supply.”

The necessary control and protection technology as well as the switching and data transmission systems are housed in a new, correspondingly larger operating building. The installed communication and wide-area transmission technology meets the high availability requirements so that the grid control centres in Heilbronn and in Esslingen can access the facilities at any time.