The most powerful transformers in the world for a 1,100 kV HVDC line in China

China's economy is growing rapidly, as is the corresponding demand for more and more electricity to sustain its glistening megacities. To help the metropolises become cleaner, even more renewable energy will be used in the future. But the favorable conditions needed to generate it are found far away from the urban areas in the east. Instead, they are found in the sparsely populated western part of the country, such as Xinjiang province. There, it is very windy and there are many hours of sunshine, as well as numerous rivers to generate hydropower. The challenge is to transport the energy over great distances to the east while keeping losses at a minimum.

"We are in a growth market with the VRDT"

SBG was one of the pioneers in the field of regulated distribution grid transformers. Since as early as 2012, the transformer manufacturer has produced VRDTs with the ECOTAP® VPD® on-load tap-changer from Reinhausen. Managing Director Erwin Birbacher and Head of Sales Michael Bühnert report on their experiences.

Clean power grid with high-frequency filters

A soft breeze is wafting across the fields of the Palatine municipality of Offenbach an der Queich. It sets the huge rotor blades of the six wind turbines operated by regional energy supplier EnergieSüdpfalz GmbH & Co KG into motion. Each year, they produce a total of 40 million kilowatt-hours for 13,800 households. The wind farm has a total output of 15.8 megawatts. A small concrete structure turns it into something special: The little building contains the first high-frequency filter system from MR, which ensures disruption-free grids at frequencies up to 9 kHz.

Test systems for the energy revolution

A climate-neutral future is only feasible if wind and solar plants function reliably, power grids are greatly expanded and, last but not least, the equipment in primary substations remains in good condition. To ensure that the power supply also stays reliable with clean energy, suitable test systems are therefore becoming increasingly important. They help new plants join the grid without faults and ensure that existing equipment is serviced or replaced in good time.

"Transitioning to a solution provider presents a major opportunity for transformer manufacturers!"

When the concept of power grids was developed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the energy universe was less complex. Power consumption was volatile, but generation in combination with a control reserve was predictable. Today, thanks to renewable power supply, generators are also prone to fluctuations. In addition, due to the electrification of other branches of industry – most notably mobility – future grids will have to transport many more times this at the high end. Since grids cannot simply be expanded as desired, new approaches to grid management and intelligent equipment are needed. This transition is already in full swing, and also places high demands on transformer manufacturers.

Asian industry uses VRDTs in the fight against fluctuating grids

Voltage fluctuations are a global phenomenon – above all in weaker grids of developing and emerging countries. Unlike fancy grids in industrialized nations, which mainly suffer from the growing volatility of renewable energies, the problem there is usually weak infrastructure. What both grids have in common is that suppliers only regulate on the medium-voltage level. However, fluctuations on the low-voltage level often go unnoticed, as there is no systematic monitoring.

Power Quality in shipping: Cleaner grids

To reduce CO2 and keep the air at ports clean, more and more shipyards are using electric drive systems. More electronics are also being installed on board at the same time. Therefore, problems familiar to experts from industrial companies are occurring more and more: harmonics interfering with plant grids. The technology on ships is even more prone to failure, since the on-board power supplies are microgrids. Compared to shore grids, they have a significantly lower short-circuit capacity. And the shore power supply for ships at anchor also has its flaws, since the grid frequency on board is different than it is on land. Technology from Reinhausen can help overcome the challenges in shipping. Two examples:

Weatherproof cable testing for offshore wind parks

The performance ability of wind power generators is generally on the rise. That is why the operating voltage of the connection cables from the wind turbines to the collection and connecting platforms is now being increased to 66 kilovolts everywhere. The design of these cables corresponds more to a high-voltage than a medium-voltage cable, which is why the experts at the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) decided to permit – in addition to the SOAK test (a 24-hour test at nominal voltage) – only resonance testing for operating voltages greater than 36 kilovolts in the new standard IEC 63026.

"Digitalization of the power grids will only work with comprehensive security measures"

Physicist Dr. Stephan Beirer is an expert in information security for process control and automation systems. He specifically advises medium and large industrial and utility companies, professional associations and manufacturers.

Why are you digitizing your transformers? Three questions for Rúnar Svavar Svavarsson.

Icelandic grid operator Veitur supplies the capital of Reykjavik and the southwest of the island – and therefore around 56 percent of the country's population – with electricity. As Technical Manager, Rúnar Svavar Svavarsson is responsible for keeping the 23 transformers of the power grid in operation. For monitoring, the service technicians have had to stand by in primary substations to read off the important condition indicators, such as gases in the oil or the winding temperature. Since this is very time-consuming, Svavarsson wants to gradually digitize the transformer fleet with ETOS®.

Six challenges, six solutions – Intelligent sensors for safe transformers

The service life of a transformer is vitally dependent on the transformer's operating conditions and its environment. Loads are significantly higher in an industrial application than they are in normal grid operation. One way or another, it is important to be aware of and specifically monitor the weak spots of the transformer to prevent damage and disruptions at an early stage. We highlight six of the greatest risks for transformers and six solutions Reinhausen provides to minimize them.

Oversized de-energized tap-changers

Canadian transformer manufacturer PSI Transformers received the order to replace a transformer for a hydropower station. The new transformer had to be able to switch between one transmission line at 250 kV and another at 143 kV. The test voltage required was a massive 1,000 kV. "To build a tap-changer for such extreme requirements, from our point of view, there was only one supplier we wanted to work with – and that was Reinhausen," states George Partyka Jr., Vice President of PTI Transformers.

VACUTAP® VM® – A Worthy Successor for the OILTAP® M

MR has successfully manufactured and sold VACUTAP®-brand vacuum tap changers, which offer countless advantages over oil-based technology, for many years. For this reason, many clients have fully switched to vacuum technology from MR. In light of this, we have removed the OILTAP® M on-load tap-changer from our product range and stopped series production as of 31 December 2020. Then Project Manager Albert Schmidbauer discusses the advantages of the VACUTAP® series.

Fight against the coronavirus in Italy - Reinhausen Group donates 100,000 Euros

Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen, a German world market leader in the control of power transformers for a secure power supply, is donating 100,000 euros via its subsidiary Reinhausen Italia (Milan) to support medical personnel and auxiliary staff in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto, which are most severely affected by the corona virus. Reinhausen Group has also two further subsidiaries, C.A.P.T S.r.I in Veneto and Cedaspe S.r.I in Lombardia, with one manufacturing unit in Codogno.

MR among Germany's best Employers

“Germany's 500 best employers” is the title of a study lunched by the magazine “stern”, Hamburg. The aim was to identify - from an employee's point of view - the most attractive German companies by an independent survey of 45,000 employees in Germany. Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen (MR) reached the leading group in the category of Mechanical and Plant Engineering.

Smallest high-speed resistor-type tap-changer in the Gulf of Mexico

There is little space on oil platforms. This is also the case on an offshore gas and oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. For this reason, transformer manufacturer DEEMSA (Diseño y Equipos Eléctricos de México SA de CV), which manufactured two transformers (8,000 kVA, 33/4.16 kV) for the platform, opted for our ECOTAP® VPD®. Thanks to its compactness, it was the perfect and most economical solution for ensuring stable voltage conditions.

Taking a Breath

Conventional dehydrating breathers require regular maintenance. In order to eliminate this extra work, energy supplier VSE Verteilnetz GmbH uses the maintenance-free solution from MESSKO in all of its transformers – saving both time and money.

Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen and Grasim will form JVC Aditya Birla Power Composites Limited

Grasim Industries Limited (“Grasim”) signed a definitive agreement to form a Joint Venture Company (JVC) in India with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (“MR”) of Germany for the manufacturing and sale of Composite Hollow Core Insulators (“CHCI”) to serve the Power Transmission and Distribution industry globally. The JVC, Aditya Birla Power Composites Limited (“ABPCL”), will set up a state-of-the-art CHCI manufacturing plant at Halol, Gujarat, India.

New generation of MTRAB® 2.5 dehydrating breathers

Protect, secure and extend the service life of your equipment with the maintenance-free dehydrating breather from MESSKO®. Since the initial market launch of the MESSKO® dehydrating breather more than 15 years ago, we have gained global practical experience with the DB100, DB200, DB200D and DB200G product versions at the facilities of more than 6,500 customers throughout the world. Based on this experience, our proven technology, and continually growing operator expectations and requirements, we are now launching the new generation MTRAB® 2.5. Just like its predecessors, the maintenance-free MTRAB® 2.5 dehydrating breather eliminates the ingress of moisture into the insulating fluid of transformers, tap changers, and other electrical equipment filled with insulating fluids. Its functionality helps our customers to significantly reduce the life-cycle costs of their equipment and overcome the challenges of steadily increasing requirements – ever-longer operating times coupled with continually increasing current densities.

KEPCO Energy Solutions promotes Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based energy efficiency

The CEO of Crocus Energy Korea Co. Ltd. Mr Ji-hoon Hwang, together with Konrad Osswald, the Sales Director of MR Germany, joined executives from affiliated companies at a signing ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel (Busan) for the conclusion of an Energy Conservation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote a new, energy efficient business model.

Next generation flow indicator

A high level of importance is placed on the operational reliability of transformers in the field of energy distribution. A functioning cooling system is vital when it comes to ensuring this reliability and in extending the transformer's service life.

Intelligent Transformer Drying

Alongside increased winding and oil temperatures, the moisture content in the oil is one of the most critical factors that can massively shorten the service life of a transformer, since both temperature and moisture can damage the paper insulation and therefore also have a negative effect on the thermal insulating properties. A Chinese steel works experienced this first hand at the end of 2018, when moisture levels triggered early warnings. Thanks to the MR EXPIOTECH MMS Moisture Management System, they were able to reduce the moisture content and prevent their transformers from failing prematurely.

MRcademy® 2018 in Suzhou

On 27 October, MR China (MRT) hosted an MRcademy® in Suzhou for a special occasion: the 150th anniversary of Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen. The attendees gained extensive insight into the company. In addition to a wide array of MR products, MRT also presented technical solutions.

Three new scholarship holders at the Scheubeck-Jansen Foundation

The Scheubeck-Jansen Foundation (SJS)ia fampous in the region by promoting science and research with numerous projects. One impressive sponsorship project is the "Talente aus der Praxis" scholarship program, which for the past eleven years has specifically supported the academic further education of trainees who wish to pursue technical studies.

HIGHVOLT invites you

From May 9-10, representatives from science, research and industry will meet in Dresden to exchange information on current new developments in the field of high-voltage test and measurement technology at the 8th HIGHVOLT COLLOQUIUM.

10 x 10 Years + 1 x 25 Years MESSKO

Oberursel. For the second time, MESSKO honored its long-service anniversaries at the end of October 2018 at a joint dinner at the power plant in Oberursel. For the Messkoians, the location also has a connection to the history of the company, which in its early days was located on this very street on Zimmersmühlenweg in Oberursel.

Two scholarship holders of the Scheubeck Jansen Foundation go their way

For ten years now, the Scheubeck-Jansen Foundation (SJS) has been promoting the academic further education of trainees who want to embark on technical studies with its "Talents from the Practice" scholarship program. This was also the case for Albert Pfeffer and Michael Überrigler, who received the SJS scholarship during their studies and have now successfully completed the sponsored studies.

Storage at all network levels

As soon as the industry, transport and heating sectors are decarbonized, the power grids will have to transport huge amounts of additional energy. One of the key questions is: How can the volatile generation of solar and wind power be matched locally and temporally with current demand? The answer: Battery storage can help master the challenge of the energy transition at all grid levels - from the extra-high voltage grid to the local grid.

Five theses on the future of power grids

Everyone knows that the demands on energy networks are changing faster than ever before. In five theses, futurologist Lars Thomsen shows where the trend is heading and what opportunities are emerging.

Upper Palatinate technology for electricity pylons of the future

Growing population figures as well as advancing electrification and digitalization will increase the demand for electricity in the coming years. At the same time, the energy transition requires a rapid switch from fossil to renewable energy sources. This will lead to more decentralized and more frequently fluctuating power generation. As a result, power grids worldwide are facing major challenges. Their expansion and modernization is therefore indispensable. Reinhauen Power Composites (RPC) from Regensburg, a subsidiary of Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen (MR), has taken up this challenge together with four European partners.

Time of the giants: XXL transformers for more power

The departure from fossil fuels and the massive expansion of wind and solar plants is only one side of the coin when it comes to the future of the grids. The other is that at the same time the demand for electricity is rising rapidly. Not only because mobility and heat are becoming electric, but also because more and more people need electricity to live: According to UN forecasts, the world's population will rise to around 10 billion by 2060. But if more electricity is to flow, we need more lines and larger transformers.

"The energy transition is taking place in the distribution grids"

Solar power is one of the pillars of the energy transition. But a large proportion of the installations will be found on roofs and facades, and thus in the local grids. In this interview, Jens Schwedler and Jan Schönfeld from the central German distribution grid operator MITNETZ STROM talk about the distribution grids of the future.

Green hydrogen: using H2 against CO2

One of the largest plants in Germany for CO2-neutral production of hydrogen is currently being built in Wunsiedel, a small Bavarian town of 10,000 people. Only renewable energy from photovoltaics and wind power is used for production. The special aspect of the innovative electrolysis plant: It will be integrated into the local grid infrastructure with existing battery storage and neighboring industrial operations. From mid-2022, up to 1,350 tons of hydrogen will be produced annually for use in transportation and industry. This will enable up to 13,500 tons of CO2 per to be avoided in the future. Image copyright: Siemens AG

Four reasons why regulated distribution grids are the future

When it comes to the topic of energy transition, it is usually the big projects that get caught up in our heads: huge offshore wind farms on the high seas, solar farms several hectares in size in the desert or hundreds, even thousands, of kilometer-long transmission lines that bring environmentally friendly electricity to the urban centers. It is true: such mega-projects are necessary when conventional large-scale power plants are taken off the grid. However, an important part of the energy transition takes place at the lowest voltage level – the local grids.

„Green oils“ – insulating liquids for a reduced carbon footprint

The sustainable reduction of greenhouse gases and the phase-out of fossil fuels are among the most urgent tasks of our time. This applies in particular to the energy sector, where renewable energies and ecologically safe materials are being increasingly used. This applies not only to energy generation itself, but also to the systems and components used for energy transmission. More and more energy suppliers and transformer manufacturers are using alternative insulating liquids in place of mineral oils in transformers and tap-changers.

The MSCDN plant – the new "power plant generator" for stable grids

Due to the shutdown of fossil and nuclear power plants and the volatile feed-in of renewable energy, grid operation is becoming more susceptible to disruptions. One solution comes from Reinhausen Power Quality and Omexom transformer stations GmbH: MSCDN systems. Particularly at the extra-high and high-voltage levels, transmission system operators are losing an important tool for keeping the voltage in the transmission lines stable: reactive power. It is usually regulated by the generators of large power plants. If these cease to exist, replacements are urgently needed.

Technology partnership for intelligent transformers

GANZ Transformers and Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen cooperate as solution providers.

Traction Transformers – Future on the Rail

Globalization in recent decades has led to greater prosperity and innovation, but it has also created new problems: Worldwide, the transportation sector alone is responsible for about a quarter of CO2 emissions. In order to reduce these levels drastically while retaining our flexibility, we need to make mobility fit for the future, which means sustainable. The best way to achieve this is with electric rail transport using electricity from renewable sources. In Germany, 74 percent of all train kilometers are already covered electrically.

Direct current at all grid levels

On the one hand, there are more and more renewable producers that generate direct current. On the other hand, there is a growing number of consumers such as electric cars that need it. Are DC grids therefore the future?

Digitalization turnaround: GANZ relies on cooperation with MR

Grid operators are in the midst of a turning point: On the one hand, they want to get necessary modernizations in technology and infrastructure underway but, on the other hand, networks must remain stable at all times. Transformer manufacturers can help them in this and become the optimal solution provider for structural change - in the form of a digitalization partnership with Reinhausen, such as the traditional Hungarian company GANZ Transformers and Electric Rotating Machines Ltd. has now concluded.

Digitalization turnaround

Electricity grid operators are in the midst of a turning point: To ensure the stability of grids, they have to master complex modernizations of technology and infrastructure, for which intelligent transformers play a central role. To enable transformer manufacturers to meet these growing demands, MR now offers the ISM® platform which is an open, manufacturer-independent key technology for digitizing power transformers in which all data collected via sensors converges and which includes a freely configurable control system. In addition to monitoring individual transformers, important information for fleet control can be generated from the bundled evaluation across the entire fleet, thus allowing asset managers to perform condition-based maintenance, for example.

50Hertz awards major contract to MR

The transmission grid operator 50Hertz will expand its substation near Bad Lauchstädt in southern Saxony-Anhalt into an important hub for the transport of renewable energies. High investments are planned there which will soon be implemented with regional and international companies. The Power Quality business unit of Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen (MR), located in Erfurt (Thuringia), in cooperation with Omexom EBEHAKO GmbH, received an order for the construction of two so-called MSCDN systems. The Lauchstädt substation is, among other things, the starting point for the southwest coupling line ("Thuringian Power Bridge") on which renewable electricity will be transported southward.

Are wind farms the new power plants?

Wind farms could play a key role in a successful and secure energy transition by supplying renewable energy and, as alternative power plants, simultaneously keeping grids stable.

TenneT and MR put grid stabilization system into operation

Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen in Regensburg has been developing and building MSCDN systems worldwide for 24 years

New MSCDN plant at TenneT's Schwandorf substation will in future take over tasks previously performed by fossil-fuel power plants, and stabilize the transmission grid

TenneT draws on Bavarian expertise and creates added value in the region with an investment volume of around EUR 2.5 million

940 tons of power regulation

The more renewable energies flow through our grids, the stronger the power fluctuations become - also due to weather conditions. To compensate for overloads on the one hand and bottlenecks on the other, expensive redispatch measures are usually necessary. Phase-shifting transformers (PSTs) enable distribution system operators like Tennet to control load flows, save costs, and keep grids stable despite volatile generators: They shift the overload from one power line to others in such a way that the grid as a whole is better utilized. Four new PSTs with on-load tap-changers from MR now ensure this at the Würgau substation. In the video, this project is discussed by Dr. Florian Martin, Head of Asset Technology at TenneT, and Wilfried Breuer, Managing Director of MR.

MR is a member of the new Open Direct Current Alliance (ODCA)

ZVEI founded the Open Direct Current Alliance (ODCA) on Nov. 3, 2022 with 33 companies from industry, academia and research. The goal is the worldwide development of a direct current ecosystem and the cross-application establishment of direct current technology. The ODCA, a working group of the ZVEI, follows on seamlessly from the successful DC-INDUSTRIE2 research project, which will be concluded next year.

Digitalization turnaround: GANZ relies on cooperation with MR

Grid operators are in the midst of a turning point: On the one hand, they want to get necessary modernizations in technology and infrastructure underway but, on the other hand, networks must remain stable at all times. Transformer manufacturers can help them in this and become the optimal solution provider for structural change - in the form of a digitalization partnership with Reinhausen, such as the traditional Hungarian company GANZ Transformers and Electric Rotating Machines Ltd. has now concluded.

"Transitioning to a solution provider presents a major opportunity for transformer manufacturers!"

When the concept of power grids was developed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the energy universe was less complex. Power consumption was volatile, but generation in combination with a control reserve was predictable. Today, thanks to renewable power supply, generators are also prone to fluctuations. In addition, due to the electrification of other branches of industry – most notably mobility – future grids will have to transport many more times this at the high end. Since grids cannot simply be expanded as desired, new approaches to grid management and intelligent equipment are needed. This transition is already in full swing, and also places high demands on transformer manufacturers.

MR establishes cooperations with several transformer manufacturers

GANZ Transformers and Electric Rotating Machines Ltd. and Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen have enjoyed a cooperation since April 2022. At that time, the Hungarian pioneer company in transformer technology approached MR with the desire to position itself as a digital solution provider through cooperation. 12 months later, GANZ Intelligent Solutions - based on Reinhausen's ISM® platform - has already established itself in the market and end customer demand for it is strong. The benefits of the cooperation have also generated strong demand in the market of transformer manufacturers, which is now being realized in concrete projects.

Why data centers (may) never fail

The Internet, streaming services, user accounts, communications software, operating systems, cloud storage -- our digitized world uses vast amounts of data every day, which are stored and processed in large data centers. They are part of the critical infrastructure, because even a small disruption can have a global impact. These huge storage facilities and computers consume enormous amounts of energy - also for constant cooling. And because everything must run trouble-free around the clock, all these centers have their own power supplies. ETOS® helps operators guarantee an optimal, uninterrupted power supply.

Innovative pilot project in Bavaria

In future, the energy for the Buchbauer Group's new consumer market in Hunding, Bavaria, will come from the roof, while heat will be supplied by the company's own geothermal system. As a special service, customers will be able to charge their electric cars while shopping, also fed from the photovoltaic system. 

South America's champions of the energy transition

Huge, sparsely populated areas, steady winds from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, plus plateaus and deserts with intense sunlight make South America an attractive location for wind and solar farms. According to the Global Energy Monitor, the region has the potential to become the world leader in renewable energies. If all announced, planned and under construction plants in Latin America (Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and South America) are added together, 319 GW of new generating capacity will be connected to the grid by 2030. This represents an increase of 460 percent.