Topping off ceremony for new substation in Berlin-Marzahn

Stromnetz Berlin strengthens electricity supply to the city’s east

21.02.2024

2024 is an anniversary year: Berlin has been an electrified city for 140 years. To continue this success story, in the coming five years, Stromnetz Berlin is to invest more than 2 billion euros in its network. Of this, 27 million will go to the new Poelchaustraße substation in Marzahn-Hellersdorf, which today (21.2.) celebrated its topping out. Present on Märkische Allee, alongside the project participants, was Dr Severin Fischer, State Secretary in the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises. The 110,000 volt substation replaces a more than 45-year-old plant at the same location. Launch is scheduled for 2027. 

“In the years to come, electricity will take on an ever-more-critical role. For this reason, we are to double grid capacity in the next decade. The new substation is a part of these plans and will strengthen the supply to households and commercial customers in the east of the city,” said Dr Erik Landeck, Head of Management of Stromnetz Berlin. 

“Together with Stromnetz Berlin, we are driving forward the expansion and modernisation of the electrical grid and making our city’s electrical infrastructure fit for the future. In doing so, we are fulfilling one of the central prerequisites for Berlin to achieve its climate goals and putting in place a vital building-block of the energy and heating transition. The Senate supports Stromnetz Berlin in making the necessary investments and, in its Supplementary 2024 Budget, has proposed increasing the equity of the parent company Berlin Energie und Netzholding (BEN) this year and next by a total of 300 million euros. This will allow it to stand up to future challenges arising, for example, from the growth of the city, decentralised power inputs from solar and the electrification of mobility,” affirmed Dr Severin Fischer, State Secretary in the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and Chair of the Supervisory Board of Stromnetz Berlin. 

“Everyone needs electricity and demand is rising constantly: ever greater numbers of citizens are using heat pumps or charging electric cars. Strong electricity networks are thus the key to the energy transition, and not just at the local level. I am glad that Stromnetz Berlin is offering our district such powerful support!” stated Nadja Zivkovic, District Mayor of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. 

After the Wuhletal substation, commissioned at the end of 2023, the Poelchaustraße plant is currently the second-largest Stromnetz Berlin construction project in Marzahn-Hellersdorf. The transformers will be delivered in 2025 and the switchgear one year later. After they go into operation, dismantlement of the old plant is set to take place in 2028. The new Poelchaustraße substation will supply around 47,000 households and 2,300 commercial customers. The plant, with its classic Berlin clinker façade, will have a power of 80 megawatts. By comparison: Brandenburg’s State Capital, Potsdam, needs around 91 megawatts for its own supply. 

^{Construction site substation. Image: Andreas Friese}