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Topping out ceremony for new substation - latest technology for Berlin's energy grid

27.11.2015

After around 14 months of construction, the topping out ceremony for a new substation building in Berlin's Wedding district took place today.

After around 14 months of construction, the topping out ceremony for a new substation building in Berlin's Wedding district took place today. Stromnetz Berlin GmbH, the operator of the capital's electricity grid, marked the occasion by inviting politicians, residents, future customers and the companies involved in the construction to join them at the topping out ceremony. Once it is complete in early 2018, the Sellerstrasse substation, which the network operator is paying around EUR 35 million to rebuild and integrate into the distribution grid, will provide around 19,000 household and 3000 business customers in central Berlin with energy. The substation will assume a particularly important function in supplying the "Europacity" development area and the peripheral development around the central station and reducing the burden on neighbouring grid areas.

The Sellerstrasse substation is equipped with state-of-the-art switching and control technology, and as a result it will help lower the risk of power failures. Moreover, if a power failure does occur, the power can be restored very quickly as the plant is integrated into the central control system of the Berlin electricity grid.

"As we strive to make Berlin more attractive as an economic and scientific centre, a safe, reliable and smart electricity supply will continue to gain importance", stressed Thomas Schäfer, Chair of the Management Board at Stromnetz Berlin GmbH, in his welcoming speech at the topping off ceremony. "As a network operator we are aware of our particular responsibilities towards the city and that's why we ensure that all of our actions are in line with the requirements of the growing metropolis and those of our customers."

The linchpins of the new substation are a gas-insulated and therefore extremely space-efficient 110 kV high voltage switchgear and an air-tight 10 kV switchgear. Once it has been commissioned, the new substation should ensure provision of 63 mega-volt amperes (MVA). The building was constructed in close consultation with the owner of the neighbouring land, the city planning authorities and Berlin's construction committee. The figured glass facade will be retained and the planned building work will correspond to the land around it.

The new build in Wedding is not the only infrastructure project that Stromnetz Berlin is carrying out at the moment: a series of other grid expansion measures are underway, such as the construction of a new 110 kV grid node at Charlottenburg and the continued automation of the medium voltage grid. The company is spending around EUR 280 million on these and other projects to expand and maintain the capital's distribution grid in 2015 alone.


Fact sheet Sellerstraße substation (PDF 172 kB)

All downloads are available in German language only.

Construction Sellerstraße substation
Once it is completed in early 2018, the Sellerstraße substation will provide around 19,000 households and 3,000 business customers in central Berlin with energy.

Design of the building Sellerstraße substation

Design of the building Sellerstraße substation