Moving ahead: Topping-out ceremony for the new 110 kV substation in Neukölln
19.07.2022
Residents and businesses in the Rollberg district are set to benefit from a future-proof power supply
The Stromnetz Berlin construction site on Rollbergstraße in the inner-city district of Neukölln is making good progress. Less than one and a half years after laying the foundation stone, the topping-out ceremony for the new 110 kV Rollberg substation is being celebrated today. Stromnetz Managing Director Dr. Erik Landeck is delighted both with the rapid progress of construction and the fact that the substation embodies the intensive investments being made in Berlin’s electricity grid: "The current discussion surrounding gas shows how important it is to have efficient infrastructure. This makes it all the more important that we invest intensively in the maintenance, expansion and future viability of our network. In this respect, today is a good day for Berlin and a good day for Neukölln and its residents, who will benefit from a reliable power supply thanks to the construction of this substation."
For the topping-out ceremony, Dr Landeck, Neukölln’s deputy mayor, welcomed Jochen Biedermann, district councillor for urban development, environment and transport, to the construction site. "Modern infrastructure is essential for a good quality of life in Neukölln. The new substation in the neighbourhood of Rollberg will make a key contribution to ensuring the security of supply. When we consider this against the backdrop of the energy transition, we at the district office welcome sustainable investments in the Berlin electricity grid," asserted Jochen Biedermann.
District councillor Jochen Biedermann, Carpenter Jan Unger and Managing Director Dr Erik Landeck from Stromnetz Berlin GmbH
State-of-the-art technology for increasing energy requirements
Rollberg substation is one of Stromnetz Berlin’s major investments in ensuring the security of the energy supply. Although this has improved in recent years, with the unavailability of the network per customer falling to a value of less than ten minutes per year, this high supply quality must be guaranteed in the long term. The new substation will also help to ensure this. A modern new building is being built directly next to the old plant, which has been in operation for more than four decades. Electrical equipment is now being installed in the future power distribution system – almost simultaneously with the topping-out ceremony today.
Stromnetz Berlin will invest around EUR 28 million at the site in total, with commissioning scheduled for the start of 2026. With 63 megavolt amperes (MVA), the size and performance of the new 110 kV substation is based on the wishes and energy requirements of customers in the supply area, as well as on increasing and rapidly changing power supply requirements. Stromnetz Berlin is responding to this in the form of increasing digitalisation, automation and flexibility.
The new Rollberg substation is equipped with state-of-the-art switching and control technology. As things stand, 38,000 households and around 3,600 commercial customers will benefit from this. As the plant is integrated into the central control system of the Berlin electricity grid, very short supply restoration times are possible in the event of malfunctions.
Investment strategy continues apace
The substation in Neukölln is not the only infrastructure project Stromnetz Berlin is currently working on: Progress is being made on a number of other grid expansion measures, grid system upgrades, the establishment of high-performance customer connections for computer centres, and more electromobility options. For example, the foundation stone for a new substation in Berlin-Mitte will soon be laid, and the Wuhletal substation in Marzahn-Hellersdorf is scheduled for completion shortly. For these and other projects whose purpose is to expand and maintain the distribution grid in Germany's capital, the company is planning on investments totalling EUR 291 million for 2022.