16.01.2024
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
The traction current grid could transport some of the energy from north to south in the event of bottlenecks in the transmission grid. Tennet and DB Energie are testing this this year with a capacity of 40 MW.
The transmission grid operator Tennet and DB Energie, as the operator of the German traction current grid, want to test whether the railroad power lines can act as a detour in the event of bottlenecks as part of a field trial. As long as the grid expansion for wind power from the north to the south is not completed, at least some of the electricity could flow via the railroad lines. Until now, renewable energy plants have had to be curtailed if the grid is at risk of overloading.
The federal government paid more than 2.7 billion euros in 2022 for compensation for income lost in this way, known as redispatch. There are no figures yet for 2023. In addition, energy imports or reserve power plants in the south often have to secure the electricity supply. This is partly done with fossil fuels and the use of these must also be remunerated separately.
The pilot project is due to start in the first quarter of 2024. DB Energie wants to include more green electricity from northern Germany in its traction current network and distribute it to the south. As a result, less electricity will have to be transported through the Tennet grid and the affected line sections could be relieved. Tennet has a continuous grid corridor from Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria. In the pilot phase, up to 40 MW of green electricity will initially be fed into the rail network. However, this only corresponds to the output of around ten modern onshore wind turbines, Tennet qualified.
A spokesperson for the transmission system operator said at the request of E&M: "In numerous pilot projects, we are developing new ways of integrating flexibility into the electricity grid in a way that benefits the system, including our cooperation project with Deutsche Bahn." The grid expansion required for the energy transition is being driven forward in parallel. Deutsche Bahn and Tennet want to investigate whether even greater potential can be used and expanded in the future. DB Energie is also planning to relieve other transmission system operators with its traction current network.
The pilot phase is currently not limited to a specific period, DB Energie told the editorial team. "If the energy industry benefits of the cooperation are confirmed in practice, we will of course continue this cooperation and expand it further in line with existing technical restrictions," said a spokesperson. The Federal Network Agency has already begun to create the necessary legal framework for this, said DB Energie.
Author: Susanne Harmsen
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