Around 426 million euros for network expansion and digitalization

The electricity grid operator Mitnetz wants to push ahead with the expansion of the grids and digitalization. The company announced on Monday in Kabelsketal in the Saale district that around 426 million euros have been earmarked for the electricity grid in parts of Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia this year, which is more than in the previous year. Mitnetz plans to invest around 87 million euros in Brandenburg, 195 million euros in Saxony, 127 million euros in Saxony-Anhalt and 16 million euros in Thuringia.

Increasing demands on the electricity grids

According to Mitnetz, the demands on the electricity grids are increasing. "The reason for this is not just the strong growth in feed-in systems. We need smart grids to integrate controllable consumers such as heat pumps, wall boxes and storage systems," said Mitnetz Managing Director Dirk Sattur. There is still enormous potential to integrate areas for photovoltaics and wind in the high-voltage grid. Mitnetz anticipates a tripling of "green" generation capacity in the grid area by 2030, while the ramp-up of electrification in heating and mobility is evident in medium and low voltage.

Enormous growth in renewable energy systems

"We are currently seeing a record figure of more than eleven gigawatts in the installed capacity of renewable energy systems," said Co-Managing Director Christine Janssen. Their total number, including "plug-in" systems, was around 108,000 systems at the end of 2023 and had risen by around 40 percent compared to the previous year.

Planned expansion of digital electricity grids

"The figures show that we need to continue to invest massively in digital electricity grids," said Sattur. By 2030, more than 4,000 digital transformer stations are to be installed and 3,000 digitally retrofitted. In order to meet the increasing demand, skilled workers and reliable investment and financing conditions are needed above all.