A Rare Insight into Our Power Supply: More Than 600 Visitors to the APG Substation in Nauders

Visitors were invited to take a close look at the ultra-modern technology of the new Nauders substation and understand the dimensions of the impressive high-voltage system as part of guided tours organized and conducted by the plant operations specialists at the APG substation in West Tyrol (Haiming): In total, over 600 people took advantage of the rare opportunity to see the otherwise hidden switchgear and transformers that supply our everyday lives with electricity.

Unbridled energy: over 300 enthusiastic students

In the morning, over 300 students from the Nauders primary school and other schools in the region flocked to APG's information day. Their enthusiasm was palpable as they visited the substation to find out what it takes to ensure that electricity is reliably available 24/7 in their homes. The children between the ages of six and 14 also visibly enjoyed the activities of the supporting program: under the supervision of the Nauders mountain rescue team, they climbed a practice electricity pylon erected by power line technicians of APG, generated electricity themselves with a bicycle to power a Carrera track, and enjoyed the view with the help of an APG lift truck and a turntable ladder from the Nauders volunteer fire department. The young visitors were also fascinated by assembling electric circuits and building funny animals with electricians’ materials.

Technology that connects

The 220-kilovolt high-voltage line between North and South Tyrol, which runs from the new APG substation in Nauders to the TERNA substation in Glorenza/Glurns in Italy, is a milestone on the way towards a climate-friendly energy supply. Over a distance of around 27 kilometers, the Passo di Resia/ Reschenpass line improves the power supply in the border region. With a transmission capacity of up to 300 megawatts, it also facilitates the international exchange of predominantly sustainable electricity from renewable energy sources in the Alpine region: Tyrol, for example, benefits from clean wind and solar power from Italy, which can also be stored in the large Tyrolean pumped storage power plants if required. In turn, these plants generate hydropower electricity, if necessary, which can be transmitted to Italy when there is no wind or at night.

Joint project for the future

The project was completed in just 3.5 years. APG invested around 90 million euros in the new substation site in Nauders and the underground cable system, which is around 1.2 km long on the Austrian side. A further 80 million euros were invested on the Italian side.