Paris, FRANCE, and Stuttgart, GERMANY — December 15, 2022 — To continue operating the power grid safely and reliably in the future, GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business (NYSE: GE) and the transmission system operator TransnetBW have signed a contract for a turnkey solution to redesign the Pulverdingen 380 kV substation in the vicinity of Markgröningen, about 15 km northwest of Stuttgart.
The Pulverdingen substation needs to be redesigned for larger capacities and greater power fluctuations. As part of this redesign, the substation’s almost 50-year-old switchgear, will be upgraded and expanded during operation.
To support TransnetBW’s priorities to ramp up capacity, GE’s Grid Solutions team will design, produce, supply and commission 26 bays of 380 kV air-insulated switchgear (AIS) with associated buildings and control cabinets. Also in the plan is a 380 kV cable connection between the 380 kV/220 kV transformer and respective 380 kV switch panel. The overhead line connection to the substation will be executed in three phases. The erection of temporary overhead lines for several years is required in some cases to ensure safe operation of the switchgear during the construction period. The construction work is expected to take one decade, until the end of 2033.
This contract for a turnkey solution aligns with GE’s commitment to provide scalable power solutions to its customers that support the transformation of their electricity grids. The upgrade and expansion of the Pulverdingen substation will significantly improve short-circuit resistance, transmission capacity and voltage control.
"The Pulverdingen substation will strengthen the security of power supply in the Stuttgart area in the long term," said Christopher Kunstmann, project manager at TransnetBW.
“TransnetBW’s expansion plans for Germany’s electricity grid will provide a better network resiliency and power supply security in this region,” said Philippe Piron, CEO of GE Grid Solutions and Power Conversion. “For our team, this agreement represents not only our deep commitment to support TransnetBW in Germany but constitutes the example of the long-term partnerships GE Grid Solutions wants to adopt with key European customers, implementing key regional infrastructure to deliver reliable, stable and efficient energy transmission.”
GE Grid Solutions provides complete, engineered solutions for high voltage (HV) substations to power generation companies, utilities, and industries, bringing together the right mix of high-voltage products through expert engineering and full project management.
