New transformer for the "Zille" substation
16.05.2014
On Monday night, a 65-tonne transformer will be delivered by heavy goods transport to the "Zille" substation in Zauritzweg in the Charlottenburg area of Berlin.
On Monday night, a 65-tonne transformer will be delivered by heavy goods transport to the "Zille" substation in Zauritzweg in the Charlottenburg area of Berlin. The following morning, a crane will be used to lift the "heavyweight" into position in the building. Along with two others, this transformer ensures that Stromnetz Berlin GmbH's 31,400 domestic customers and business customers in the Deutsche Oper opera house area always have a secure electricity supply.
The transformer delivery is part of the Berlin grid operator's annual grid infrastructure programme. At a cost of around €1.5 million, all three transformers in "Zille" will be replaced with new machines by August, thereby securing the area's electricity supply for the long-term.
The purpose of a transformer is to "transform" electricity from the 110 kilovolt (kV) voltage level to the 10 kV voltage level. As a rule, Berlin's transformer stations, of which there are around 80, have three transformers: two main transformers and one spare transformer. Smart communication technology is used to connect all of Berlin's transformer stations to the grid control centre, where all of Berlin's substations and switchgears are monitored and controlled remotely around the clock. As a result, Berliners can rely on a secure electricity supply: Statistically speaking, every household spends only 13 minutes a year without electricity.