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Water from the transformer station roof used to irrigate Spandau nature reserve

Ground-breaking ceremony for the replacement of the Amalienhof substation in Spandau

23.10.2024

Stromnetz Berlin continues to strengthen the power grid in Spandau. There are currently three transformer station projects in the district. The ground-breaking ceremony for the replacement of the Amalienhof substation on Schmidt-Knobelsdorf-Straße took place today (23 October 2024). The new plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2031 and will replace the existing substation from the 1970s at the same location. The old plant will then be dismantled. Its location right next to the district's famous ‘Orchideenwiese’ nature reserve is of special importance to Stromnetz Berlin, which the company wants to help protect and preserve. Rainwater from the roof of the new substation will be channelled onto the meadow to help with the preservation of its unique flora and fauna. The roof of the new building will also be designed as a green roof and with a solar panel system.

The ground-breaking ceremony was performed by the State Secretary in the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Stromnetz Berlin, Dr Severin Fischer, Spandau District Councillor Tanja Franzke and Stromnetz Berlin’s Managing Director Dr Erik Landeck

Dr Severin Fischer, State Secretary in the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises said,

“The renovation of the Amalienhof substation shows that Stromnetz Berlin is not only thinking ahead when it comes to expanding and maintaining our power grid, but is also contributing its own ideas and demonstrating through this construction project that nature conservation and grid expansion can be sensibly combined. Over the next ten years, the capacity of our power grid must be doubled to at least 4.1 gigawatts, and I am delighted to be able to say that the state of Berlin has a strong partner at its side for this mammoth task." 

District Councillor Tanja Franzke said, "The new replacement of the Amalienhof substation will make a significant contribution to the power supply in the Spandau district, while at the same time taking nature conservation into account. This makes the project a role model for modern, efficient and sustainable industrial architecture that extends beyond the borders of Spandau and Berlin."

Dr Erik Landeck, Chairman of the Management Board of Stromnetz Berlin said, “Being a state-owned company, we see our responsibility for the city not only in the expansion and operation of the electricity grid. We are also committed to maintaining Berlin as a city where people like to live. Water is and remains a precious commodity in urban areas. Utilising it and thus preserving a unique nature reserve such as the Orchideenwiese is a matter that is close to our hearts. At the Amalienhof substation, we will use the water sensibly for irrigating the meadow on site." 

Stromnetz Berlin is investing approximately 40 million euros in the substation project. The old plant from the 1970s has reached the end of its service life. The main reason for replacing it is because the spare parts needed for its maintenance are no longer available. A special feature is that the new building, measuring 25 by 30 metres, is being erected just about 80 centimetres next to the old plant while maintaining normal operations. The new substation will have a clinker brick façade typical of Berlin and its energy supply facilities. Thanks to modern technology, it will be somewhat more compact than the old one and still have enough space inside for expansions. 

The new Amalienhof substation will supply tens of thousands of households in the neighbourhood with power. The construction pit should be ready by the beginning of 2025. The structural work is then scheduled for completion by autumn 2026. After that, the electrical systems will gradually be installed. The new substation plant is scheduled to go online in autumn 2031. The old plant will then be dismantled by 2032. As part of its ongoing dialogue with the local community, Stromnetz Berlin provided information about the construction and preparations to the local residents at a very early stage in early 2024. Residents will be given regular first-hand updates throughout the course of the project.

Five people in hard hats and coats stand with shovels at a construction site. A sign in the background partially reads "Berlin.

f. l. t. r.: Daniel Helbig, Dr. Erik Landeck, Dr. Severin Fischer, Tanja Franzke, René Görlitzer