Weinviertel line

Open Day

After the Weinviertel line and the Zaya substation successfully started operation last year, APG and Netz NÖ invite all neighbors to an open day at the substations of the Austrian transmission system operator Austrian Power Grid (APG) and the EVN subsidiary Netz Niederösterreich GmbH in Neusiedl an der Zaya on June 2, 2023 from 1:00 - 6:00 pm.

There are no parking spaces available at the Zaya substation. Visitors can park at the sports field and take the shuttle service to the substation every quarter of an hour.

If the open day cannot take place due to weather conditions, you will receive further information here.

Caution: Electric and magnetic fields occur in the high-voltage facility. No access for persons with electromechanical implants such as pacemakers or implanted defibrillators, as well as pregnant women.

Dismantling

Almost exactly four years after the construction decision for the new Weinviertel line, the last foundation of the former existing line has now been successfully removed - thus the dismantling work of the Weinviertel line has been completed.

In the process, some of the 255 pylons of the former existing line were transported away by means of a helicopter. This is not only efficient and time-saving, but also protects the soil.

Dismantling work on the existing pipeline is going according to plan

Immediately after the successful commissioning of the new Weinviertel line in summer 2022, the dismantling work of the existing line has also begun. Part of the pylons will be removed by helicopter and transported away. After a short period of bad weather, the pylon locations in the Weinviertel region, which are only accessible via the ground, have already been dismantled by helicopter.

Thanks to optimised planning and implementation, the project is well on schedule. "The high level of motivation during the elaborate preparations by the project team of the Weinviertel line was matched in no way by the partners carrying out the work, with a remarkable dismantling rate of around 4 pylons per hour (3 approaches per pylon)," praises Andreas Pischel, project manager of the Weinviertel line.

In the meantime, 228 of 255 pylons have already been successfully dismantled. The remaining 27 pylons will be removed at the beginning of next year. In addition to the removal of the pylons, the foundations must also be dismantled. Here, the work is also proceeding according to plan in coordination with the ecological building inspectorates and, of course, the landowners.

Official inauguration and commissioning of the Weinviertel line

The Weinviertel line, and with it the substation at Neusiedl an der Zaya, commenced full operation right on schedule. On 12 September 2022, the informational event for the commissioning was held in Neusiedl an der Zaya. At the invitation of APG, the event was attended by Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, EVN board members Stefan Szyskowitz and Franz Mittermayer, Mayor Andreas Keller, APG Supervisory Board Chairman Peter F. Kollmann and APG CTO Gerhard Christiner.

Now that it’s been completed, the Weinviertel line is making a vital contribution to a secure supply of electricity in Lower Austria and in Austria as a whole. Going forward, the line will feed up to 3,000 MW of renewable energy from Lower Austria into APG’s trans-regional grid for use throughout all of Austria. A true milestone in the transition to new forms of energy! 

Commissioning

After a construction period of just three years, all work has now been completed. Both the Weinviertel line and the Zaya substation will go into operation in the summer of 2022.

The Zaya substation fulfils an especially important function as additional grid support for Netz NÖ, the regional distribution system operator. The new feed-in station enables the wind and solar power generated in the Weinviertel region to be fed into APG’s trans-regional grid for use across all of Austria.

Project planning and implementation focused on protecting environmental and conservation interests relating to people and nature and on incorporating the existing infrastructure. The new route corridor no longer passes through the Bernhardsthaler Ebene nature reserve, and it also circumvents settled areas. 
 

Construction work enters the home stretch

Construction of the Weinviertel line and the Zaya substation is progressing in leaps and bounds. The line will be commissioned in less than one year.

Erection of the pylons was successfully completed in all three construction sections. Good progress has also been made with the cable work, which is around 75% finished.

Work at the Zaya substation itself has also been going well. The transformers have been upgraded and the building systems are in place, meaning that all buildings, foundations and cable ducts are ready to go. The 380-kV and 220-kV GIS systems have been installed and subjected to high-voltage testing. At present, all plant systems are being tested.

All roads lead to the Zaya substation (transporting transformers)

The transformer is the heart of the substation. Transformers convert the incoming voltage coming from APG’s high-voltage network to a voltage suitable for the regional distribution system operators, and vice versa.

In mid-May 2021, the first transformer reached its new home at the Zaya substation. Weighing in at around 300 tonnes, this massive piece of equipment took several days to reach its destination – just like the later transformers arriving in June and September. The journey started at the Siemens factory in Weiz/Austria. The transformers then travelled by train to Hohenau an der March, where they were crane lifted onto a low loader special transport vehicle that transported them to the Zaya substation and placed them on their foundations.

A transformer named “Carlo”

In July 2021, an old tradition was brought back to life at the substation in Neusiedl an der Zaya – inaugurating a new transformer. The inauguration ceremony was performed by Karl Wilfing, the president of the Lower Austrian Parliament, in the presence of Gerhard Christiner, the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of APG; Stefan Szyszkowitz and Franz Mittermayer, EVN board directors; mayor Andreas Keller; fire chief Roman Stur, OBI; along with the press. He christened the approximately 300-tonne heavy transformer “Carlo” as per its nickname.

In expressing his satisfaction with the project, President Wilfing said “Just as I am energised by the prospect of our country being on the right track, our new transformer, “Carlo”, will also provide energy to help the energy transition succeed and to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of electricity. That’s why I’m so pleased to sponsor this 300-tonne transformer named Carlo. Carlo is part of Lower Austria’s climate and energy roadmap, and is a good example of how important it is to move from setting goals to getting results.”