A major milestone for a project in the Berlin-Brandenburg region: British data centre operator VIRTUS and electricity transmission system operator 50Hertz signed a contract to build a new data centre in Wustermark near Berlin.
The VIRTUS Data Centre Campus in Wustermark covers more than 350,000 square metres. With an investment volume of €3 billion, this is one of the largest data centre projects in Europe.
50Hertz will establish the connection to the 380-kV high-voltage grid and expand the Wustermark substation to support it. The expansion includes constructing two line switchgear bays for the data centre’s n-1-secure connection, as well as a second 380-kV bus coupler. The grid connection will have an installed load of 300 megawatts. The Wustermark substation will connect to the Nordring Berlin overhead line and several nearby wind farms, helping supply the large-scale project with green energy.
In the future, the data centre will be reliably supplied with electricity around the clock via the substation. The investment volume for these construction measures amounts to around €16 million.
VIRTUS will also build its own substation, which will connect to the two new switchgear bays in 50Hertz’s Wustermark substation.
Dirk Biermann, Chief Operations Officer of 50Hertz:
Thanks to the good collaboration between VIRTUS and 50Hertz, we are well on our way for this major project. The synergy between high-quality grid technology infrastructure, large renewable energy capacities and the vicinity to the sites of many IT companies makes the Berlin-Brandenburg region an ideal location for such future investments. I would like to thank all those involved for the good and trusting cooperation.
Patrick Schürkötter, Director Strategic Power Delivery at VIRTUS:
Overcoming the large challenges presented by the 380-kV technology, the legal and regulatory framework conditions, and the special requirements for the energy supply of a data centre campus was only possible thanks to the strong partnership with 50Hertz. The open and constructive dialogue, as well as the invariably proactive collaboration, made a real difference. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ goes out to the entire 50Hertz team for their extraordinary commitment and good collaboration.
To also enable the connection of future important projects of such a large scale to the electricity transmission grid, 50Hertz is pursuing changes to the legal framework.
Dirk Biermann adds:
Regulatory requirements currently force us to treat applications for a grid connection on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis: the decisive factor for a project is not its degree of maturity, but its postmark. However, grid connection projects with a high maturity level in locations that are also suitable from a grid point of view should be given priority. That is why we need a reform of the ordinance on the grid connection of power plants, for example. The new federal government should act quickly on this matter.
Original announcement: 50Hertz
Image: Courtesy of 50Hertz
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