Germany – Four German transmission system operators, 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW, are launching an partnership with industrial partners Siemens Energy, GE Vernova and Hitachi Energy. The purpose of the partnership is to jointly develop innovative technology for the energy transition. The partnership is an Important step on the way to feeding 70 gigawatts of offshore electricity into the grid.
The DC switchgear with DC circuit breakers (DC – direct current) is the centrepiece for implementing the so-called DC multiterminal hubs. They enable the efficient utilisation and distribution of very large amounts of wind power from the North Sea coast by linking direct current lines and flexibly transporting the energy to where it is needed.
The DC circuit breakers as part of the DC switchgear are a technical innovation. In the event of a fault, they can identify faults in fractions of a second and switch off the affected areas. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility and economic viability of multiterminal technology.
‘With this partnership, we are joining forces and shaping the infrastructure of the future together. In the German North Sea alone, 70 gigawatts of offshore wind energy are planned, which must not only be brought ashore efficiently, but also distributed throughout the country in the most area- and cost-efficient way possible.
At the same time, the further integration of renewable energies is increasing the demands on grid stability and security of supply. We are there-fore focusing on new innovative technologies and are realising a large-scale meshed direct current grid for the first time. Together, we are paving the way for the climate-neutral grid’, said Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT.
Illustration: TenneT
