The Berlin 380 kV electric line is a 38.3-km double-circuit high-

volt The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827). Defin ...

age

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

three-phase

power line An overhead power line is a structure used in electric power transmission and distribution to transmit electrical energy across large distances. It consists of one or more uninsulated electrical cables (commonly multiples of three for three-p ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. An unusual system for a municipality, it was installed by the

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

Bewag

utility company A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

during the

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the city. Since 1951, West Berlin had been cut off from the East Berlin and

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

power networks, and maintained an independent power generation capacity that was not connected to any other

power grid An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. It consists of:Kaplan, S. M. (2009). Smart Grid. Electrical Power ...

. Berlin was connected to the western European power grid in 1994, following German reunification, by extending the 380 kV line. HKW Reuter West Kuehlturm

The first section of the line, which entered service in 1977, was an interconnector that consisted of a 2.6 km overhead transmission line and an 8.1 km underground cable, which ran from Reuter

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many ...

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smallest borough by population, but the fourth largest by land ...

to Mitte substation in Tiergarten ("Mitte" means "central"; the district of

Berlin-Mitte Mitte () (German for "middle" or "center") is a central locality () of Berlin in the eponymous district () of Mitte. Until 2001, it was itself an autonomous district. Mitte proper comprises the historic center of Alt-Berlin centered on the ch ...

was then in East Berlin). It was the first time plastic insulators had been used. The overhead segment and an adjacent 110-kV line are the only overhead lines in former West Berlin. The underground section used water-cooled cable in an accessible tunnel. Both substations use totally enclosed SF₆-insulated

switchgear In an electric power system, a switchgear is composed of electrical disconnect switches, fuses or circuit breakers used to control, protect and isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be ...

. They are the oldest 380 kV substations with SF₆ technology in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Another speciality of the Berlin power grid is that the first pylon near Reuter power station has been built as a concrete structure with transversal steel lattice mimicking a chimney for aesthetical reasons. After German reunification the line was extended 7.6 km further west to Teufelsbruch substation in Spandau Forest, near Berlin's western border, in 1994. The city was finally relinked to the western German power grid via a new transmission line to Helmstedt, just across the former inner-German border. At the same time, the 380 kV line was extended into former East Berlin via a tunnel to

Friedrichshain Friedrichshain () is a quarter (''Ortsteil'') of the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in Berlin, Germany. From its creation in 1920 until 2001, it was a freestanding city borough. Formerly part of East Berlin, it is adjacent to Mitte, Prenzl ...

substation (1998), extended 5.2 km to

Marzahn Marzahn () is a locality within the borough of Marzahn-Hellersdorf in Berlin. Berlin's 2001 administrative reform led to the former boroughs of Marzahn and Hellersdorf fusing into a single new borough. In the north the Marzahn locality inclu ...

substation in 2000. From Marzahn substation a 12 km long 380 kV overhead powerline was built in 1998 to Neuenhagen substation east of Berlin in order to create a second connector to the

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

an grid. The tunnel is up to 30 m deep, and has a small inspection railway. After the line was complete, several overhead lines in former East Berlin were dismantled. There are plans for further 380 kV lines to other parts of the high voltage grid north and west of Berlin.

Map

References

External links

{{Portal, Germany, Energy
Article about the 1994 connectorBundeskartellamt article mentioning the cableImage of work on the underground cable at Leipziger StraßeEurope grid map
(zoom to show details) Buildings and structures in Berlin Electric power transmission systems in Germany