Eulenberg substation

The need for the substation results from the designation of the Eulenberg high-tech park as an industrial site with an extent of around 450 hectares. The largest settlement here is the planned production site for computer chips by US semiconductor manufacturer Intel. In addition to Intel, other companies are expected to settle there as well.

The new substation will also reinforce the surrounding grid areas of distribution system operator Avacon and the municipal utility Städtische Werke Magdeburg and will make the region fit for other prospective industrial businesses as well as more renewable energy feed-in. All these factors combined make it necessary to build a new substation on site.

Information about the Intel project on the website of the city of Magdeburg

Information about the Intel project on the company’s website

The substation sections in responsibility of Transmission system operator (TSO) 50Hertz and distribution system operator (DSO) Avacon are subject to separate permitting procedures. 50Hertz submitted its application documents to the city of Magdeburg in November 2022.

50Hertz’s part of the installation requires an application in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act (Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz, BImSchG), whereas Avacon is applying for a building permit. This difference is due to the voltage levels involved. The permitting authority for both applications is the city of Magdeburg.

50Hertz and Avacon are expecting to receive the permits in 2023.

The substation will be built to the east of the high-tech park, directly west of the Magdeburg-Sudenburg motorway junction, where a 380-kilovolt (kV) overhead line of 50Hertz and a 110-kV overhead line of local DSO Avacon are already in place. The positioning within the area will minimise the need to construct additional connecting lines.

The exact location of the building site is the object of an ongoing development plan procedure (Bebauungsplanverfahren).

According to the current planning, the final development of the joint 50Hertz-Avacon substation may cover up to 28 hectares. This will allow for installation expansions on the site of the substation itself.

Visually and technologically, the installation will resemble a classic substation. This includes gantry pylons for overhead line conductors, lightning protection masts, surge arresters, disconnectors, a switchgear bay to distribute the electricity within the substation as well as transformers to alter the voltage level from 380 to 110 kilovolts. One particular feature will be that the installation will be L-shaped because of the local conditions, so that the available space is used best possible.

Sustainability aspects are taken into account – ranging from biodiversity in the open spaces to the avoidance of greenhouse gases for insulating purposes (such as SF₆) in the substation as far as possible.

The busbar connects to the 110 kV level and also forms the property limit with Avacon’s part of the installation. At this voltage level, Avacon takes care of the connection to the surrounding distribution grid as well as the connection of the grid customers and of the Städtische Werke Magdeburg, for which a transformation to medium voltage level will be established.

Furthermore, single-storey buildings are built on the site to house the monitoring and control systems.

Once the permit has been granted, construction can start in 2023. Commissioning is planned for 2026.