'Power-Highways' push Siemens, ABB (follow-up on Siemens' nuclear exit)

[zack]

Source: Financial Times Deutschland (in German)

(translated from German)
The four German companies owning the national grid are planning three hightech 'Power Highways' - to the delight of ABB and Siemens. The two companies between them have a market share of over 80% for power lines using the high-voltage direct current transmission system.

The transmission lines have a price tag of 1.5 million Euros per kilometre. The enormous end-of-line transformer stations needed to connect the system to the conventional grid cost somewhere between 200 and 300 million Euros each. The market for this kind of electricity transmission system had a volume of 3 billion Euros in 2009. According to Siemens, this is expected to increase to 7 billon Euros within the next five years.

http://www.ftd.de/unternehmen/indust.../60107891.html

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From Reuters (German stocks - Factors to watch on September 23)



Energy transmission companies TenneT, Amprion, 50 Hertz Transmission as well as EnBW's energy transmission unit are planning to invest billions of euros to build three large power lines through Germany, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing no sources.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7KM1UX20110923

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About 2200 kilometres of new high capacity power lines with 50% less transmission losses are or will be submitted for planning permission until spring 2012.
The main purpose is to enable windpower from coastal areas and east Germany to be transported to the west and south of the country.
The new network will form the backbone of future connections to mediterranean/north african solar power and Scandinavian hydropower.

http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unt...787954,00.html

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I did not do the above translations. They were taken from a post on another forum. I've paraphrased other comments below:


Makes sense that Siemens dumped nuclear power. Same subsidies, no hassles and potentially enormous growth.
We need this kind of political will in our country. Germany declared its exit from nuclear power half a year ago and the industry responds almost instantly with massive infrastructure investments. Additionally, jobs and money will stay in the country. A good time for young Germans to start studying electrical engineering.

[dpeilow]

The start of the European DC supergrid? Bring it on.

[VolkerP]

there was politically motivated adversity to install wind power in southern Germany. The two federal states have 1 to 3 percent of their energy production from wind. Building massive power lines is an attempt to keep centralized power generation (offshore) and distribution. A business model requiring massive capital invest, effectively hindering start-ups and municipal utilities from entering the market. But times they are a-changing...