Acting at all voltage levels
- Stromnetz Berlin is developing the grid that supports the energy, heating and mobility transition and is prepared for advancing digitalisation
- Another all-time high planned for investments – 2023: € 285 million
- Good business performance in 2022
Stromnetz Berlin GmbH, a company of the BEN Berlin Energie und Netzholding Group, is facing enormous challenges. With the now accelerated energy and heat transition, as well as developments in the field of mobility and digitalisation, Berlin is facing an extensive transformation process. This is placing special demands on the electricity grid and Berlin's distribution system operator is preparing intensively for this.
Stromnetz Berlin aims to meet the long-term challenges with an investment campaign that has been ongoing for years, with far-sighted grid planning, with measures to further increase the company's performance and with the active search for specialists and the best young talent.
At today's annual press conference, Stromnetz Berlin Managing Director Dr Erik Landeck commented on topics and projects for the current year, as well as the company's balance sheet. The Managing Director also gave an outlook on the necessary expansion or conversion of Berlin's electricity grid in the light of the energy, heat and mobility transition.
"We act at all voltage levels! Stromnetz Berlin will always provide the modern grid that the city and its residents are entitled to expect in a metropolis offering a high living standard. We will support the region in achieving its climate goals and contribute to sustainable and future-proof urban conversion with sustainable energy transition solutions." At the same time, however, Erik Landeck also stressed that the simultaneous changes in the city's energy, transport and heat supply are a mammoth task for the electricity grid in Berlin. "According to the latest load forecasts and planning, we even expect that our network capacity will have to be doubled within the next ten years", continues Landeck.
Investment strategy continues apace
Stromnetz Berlin has been investing at a high level for years. The company spent €265 million in 2022, more money than ever before in its history, on maintaining, expanding and digitalising Germany's largest urban distribution grid. The municipal company plans to continue this intensive investment activity in the coming years. The total is €285 million for 2023 alone. Investments are once again planned at an all-time high. A total of around €1.7 billion will be invested in the Berlin electricity grid in the five-year period from 2023 to 2027. A strong focus on the customer, secure and reliable supply and climate protection are key cornerstones on which the company builds its investment activities.
Good business performance in 2022
In its second financial year after returning to municipal control, Stromnetz Berlin GmbH recorded €82.7 million (previous year: €46.2 million), which represents a good result after taxes. The result generated has been completely reinvested in the electricity grid. The company's revenue increased to €1,263.0 million, compared to €1,131.5 million in the previous year. Due to the energy crisis and conscious energy saving across all customer groups, electricity transport through the Berlin grid has temporarily fallen to 12,523 gigawatt hours (GWh). The concession charges paid to the State of Berlin amounted to €137.5 million (2021: €143.2 million).
Erik Landeck comments on the company's balance sheet: "We have had a very eventful financial year. We faced unique conditions with the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine, the coronavirus pandemic and the reintegration into ownership by the State of Berlin, as well as the investment activity of a growing organisation. We are very pleased with the results we have achieved, given the very different challenges."
Areas to focus on in 2023
One of the company's focal points for the current year is the Managing Director's measures to increase performance across all parts of the company. This is intended in particular to support investment activity and consolidate all customer connection processes, for example with photovoltaic systems, charging infrastructure and heat pumps, as they continue to ramp up. Numerous projects are shaping the business activity, with the construction and modernisation of power distribution systems such as substations, grid nodes and cable runs, as well as the continued work on the new operations management concept for digitalisation in low voltage. To overcome all the challenges, Stromnetz Berlin also aims to continue to grow in terms of personnel. Around 200 new hires are planned by the end of the year.