Vienna/Linz - After the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) confirmed the positive EIA decision of the province of Upper Austria at the end of June 2024, preparatory steps for the "Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria" project have immediately been executed, meaning that the actual implementation of the project can now begin.
The three project partners Austrian Power Grid (APG), Netz Oberösterreich GmbH (Netz OÖ), and LINZ NETZ GmbH (LINZ NETZ) are investing around EUR 650 million in securing the electricity supply in the region, achieving the energy transition and strengthening Upper Austria as a business location and place to live.
A project for generations
Gerhard Christiner, Chief Technical Officer of APG: "We are very pleased that after the decision of the Federal Administrative Court, the actual implementation of the project can now begin. With the start of construction, we are taking a major step towards a secure energy transition and the sustainable strengthening and decarbonization of Upper Austria as a business and industrial location. Together with our project partners, we are investing in the booming economic region of Upper Austria and facilitating the increasing electrification of businesses, industry, and society in the region. At the same time, this electricity infrastructure project is also an important part of our nine billion investment program to achieve Austria's climate and energy targets"
Manfred Hofer, Managing Director of Netz Oberösterreich GmbH: "The start of the project makes the electricity supply in the central region of the industrial province of Upper Austria fit for the future. In the interests of conserving natural, material, and financial resources, it is imperative that all three project partners work closely together. Achieving the energy transition and shaping the energy future is a challenge for our entire society and can only succeed through teamwork. This is why the cooperation between three grid operators is a prime example of how such projects can be implemented jointly for the benefit of all."
Johannes Zimmerberger, Managing Director of LINZ NETZ GmbH: “The positive development of our region is largely dependent on renewable energy sources, major decarbonization measures, and a future-proof grid infrastructure. As a partner in the 'Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria' project, we are working on facilitating precisely these aspects. The start of construction brings us closer to our common goal. A high-quality supply ring will help us to meet the growing demands on the electricity grid in the long term in a sustainable way and facilitate the energy transition without jeopardizing the security of supply.”
Hubert Zajicek, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of its Steel Division: “With greentec steel, voestalpine has an ambitious step-by-step plan to convert its production processes to green, net-zero steel production. From 2027, the first step will be to replace one blast furnace each at the Linz and Donawitz sites with a green-electricity-based electric arc furnace. Integrating the two electric arc furnaces into our steel production will make it possible to electrify energy-intensive processes and thus reduce CO2 emissions by around 30% by 2029 compared to 2019. The basic prerequisite for this is the sufficient availability of electricity from renewable sources at economically viable prices. Even more important is the availability of an efficient and integrated grid infrastructure. Regarding our production site in Linz, this is facilitated through the 'Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria' project. We therefore welcome the positive decision of the Federal Administrative Court, which means that APG can now start expanding the electricity supply in the region. We are confident that the project can now be implemented quickly without further delays so that we can keep to our schedule and start operation of the first electric arc furnace in Linz in 2027.”
The project in detail
Construction work on the project will start with the first two of a total of four line construction sections and at the two substations Kronstorf and Pichling. This will be followed by expansion and conversion work at six further substations as part of the project. The supply ring will start its operation in stages from 2026 to 2030.
First construction phase (2024 – 2026):
- Expansion of the existing cable section between the Traun floodplains and the Pichling substation by two 220 kV systems and one 110 kV system
Second construction phase (2024- 2026):
- Replacement construction of a 220/110 kV line from the Ernsthofen substation to the Asten connection point (towards Pichling)
- New construction of a 110 kV line in the area of the highway near Asten
- Replacement construction of a 110 kV line in the Traun floodplain area to the Linz Süd district heating power plant (FHKW) and the Hütte Süd substation
- Voltage conversion from 110 kV to 220 kV on the existing line section between the Asten connection point and the Pichling substation (no construction measures necessary)
- Erection of a dead-end tower directly in front of the Pichling substation involving the construction of a temporary makeshift pylon
- Modifications and optimization of the existing line routing across the Enns River in the Ernsthofen/Kronstorf area
- Dismantling of the existing 110 kV line between Hiesendorf/Enns and the St. Pantaleon switching station
Third construction phase (2027-2028)
- Replacement construction of a 220 kV line from the Kronstorf substation to the connection point in Asten (towards Wegscheid)
- Dismantling of existing 110 kV lines
- Voltage conversion from 110 kV to 220 kV between the Asten connection point and the Wegscheid substation; a total of 9 pylons on this line section will be raised by installing height extensions
Fourth construction phase (2029-2030)
- Replacement construction of a 220/110 kV line between the Wegscheid and Hütte Süd substations in the city of Linz
- Dismantling of existing 110 kV lines
Comprehensive information about the project: www.zentralraum-ooe.at
Press contact
Stefan Walehrach
