Environmentally friendly equipment has been installed at the Zalaszentgrót transformer substation.
An increasing number of Hungarian households are installing solar panels and using electric heating and air-conditioning systems, posing new challenges for increasingly complex power grids. To meet growing energy demand and enable greater use of renewable energy generation, the EU-supported Danube InGrid power grid development project was launched. Its aim is to modernize the E.ON Hungária Group’s electricity network in northwestern Hungary, as well as the electricity distribution network in western Slovakia, using smart grid solutions.
As part of the program, E.ON has already commissioned several transformer substations in Hungary, including facilities in Kisbér and Gyermely. More recently, another unit was commissioned in Zalaszentgrót as part of a HUF 2.2 billion greenfield investment. As with the previous projects, Siemens Zrt. supplied the medium-voltage switchgear for the facility.
The E.ON substation in Zalaszentgrót. Source: E.ON Hungária Group
The NXAir M substation switchgear, rated at 24 kV and 1,250 A, provides a sustainable and safe solution for power distribution thanks to its low maintenance requirements and air-insulated design. The new substation is fully automated and motorized across all functions, allowing it to be controlled remotely. Operators can even use mobile devices to monitor the current status of the equipment and receive timely information about any interventions that may be required, without having to remain continuously on site. This provides significant savings in human resources, which can be particularly important in the current environment of skilled labor shortages.
The substations commissioned by E.ON Hungária Group as part of the project enable the connection of new consumers, renewable energy producers and potentially several thousand new residential solar power systems. Through the use of digital solutions, the region’s grid will not only gain additional capacity but also become more flexible, with fewer voltage fluctuations. Thanks to intelligent systems, potential faults can also be detected, identified and resolved more quickly. In addition, the energy required by the switchgear and control buildings themselves is supplied by solar panels installed on site.
Switchgear at the Zalaszentgrót substation.
In 2025, E.ON Hungária Group plans to commission additional new remotely operated substations in the northwestern region of Hungary to expand capacity and improve security of supply. As part of the project, Siemens Zrt. will also supply the switchgear for these new substations, amounting to a total of approximately 131 panels. Furthermore, under the Danube InGrid project, the technology company has expanded E.ON’s distribution network with around 100 Siemens 8DJH medium-voltage ring-main switchgear units installed in outdoor concrete substations.