15 million project

Substation brings better power supply to the valley

Local businesses, municipal and provincial representatives describe the project in Rangersdorf as an "important investment in an environmentally friendly future."

(Bild: Elisa Aschbacher)

Shorter downtimes, better power supply. These are the goals of the new Kelag and Kärnten Netz substation. Local companies are rejoicing and for the municipality and Carinthian representatives it is an "investment in the future."

"The new Rangersdorf substation is an important individual project to equip the Carinthian energy system for future challenges," says Reinhard Draxler, CEO of Kelag, during a tour of the construction site in Rangersdorf. Construction work on the new plant, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, has been in full swing since June. "A good 750 million euros will also be invested in the energy infrastructure in Carinthia by the end of 2025. Of this, 15 million will flow into the new Rangersdorf substation," adds Draxler.

Better power supply in Mölltal 
The aim of the construction is to improve the power supply in Mölltal. The substation is necessary in order to supply the municipalities of Stall im Mölltal, Rangersdorf and Winklern with sufficient and reliable electricity over the coming decades. "The industrial and commercial businesses in this region must be able to develop successfully," explains Michael Marketz, Managing Director of Kärnten Netz. But it is also beneficial for private households. "In addition, more and more customers are feeding electricity from PV into our grid and many customers are using additional electrical applications to phase out fossil fuels. These include heat pumps and electric cars, for example. We need to upgrade our grid to meet these requirements, which is why this new grid node is necessary." 

EU-funded "Green Switch" project

The construction of the Rangersdorf substation is being funded by the European Union with around 2.4 million euros via the "Green Switch" funding project. Seven grid operators from Slovenia and Croatia and Kärnten Netz from Austria are cooperating on the "Green Switch" funding project. The aim is to further develop and transform the energy systems in connection with the energy transition. Out of a total of 146 million euros, around 25 million euros in funding will go to Kärnten Netz projects.

New configuration of the 20 kV grid in the region
Five 110 kV lines will be integrated into the new Rangersdorf substation, and five 20 kV lines will run from the 20 kV busbar into the region in future. "The new grid node makes it possible to change the configuration of the 20 kV grid in this section of the Möll Valley and make it fit for the future," says Eva Tatschl-Unterberger, Managing Director of Kärnten Netz. "This year we are laying 20 kV cables in the village of Rangersdorf and integrating four new transformer stations. In a second step next year, we will extend the 20 kV cable network from here to Treßdorf and Lainach."

Faster repair possible
After that, the plan is to lay 20 kV cables further to Stall and Winklern. "We will have sufficient grid capacity in the future. Because we will have many switching options at the 20 kV level in the new substation, we will be able to intervene more quickly in the event of faults and reduce downtimes for customers," says Tatschl-Unterberger. 

"Strengthen our region!"
 Mayor Josef Kerschbaumer says of the Kärnten Netz project in his municipality: "A secure and powerful electricity grid and its expansion is an essential prerequisite for Rangersdorf to be an attractive place to live, work and do business." Once again, local companies such as Hasslacher are in favor of the grid expansion. Noritec GmbH in Stall im Mölltal employs around 175 people, most of whom come from the region. "Without a sustainable energy supply, we would not be able to produce here in our current form. As a company, we also focus on sustainable working methods and are environmentally aware. That's why it's all the more important to be able to rely on the power supply and that Kärnten Netz is on site quickly in the event of faults and can repair damage reliably and even more quickly," says Andreas Weichsler, Hasslacher Managing Director in Stall. 

The expansion of Kärnten Netz in Rangersdorf will secure the region's long-term energy supply in the long term.

Landeshauptmann-Stellvertreterin Gaby Schaunig

"Private households and companies benefit"
 Deputy Governor Gaby Schaunig, on site at the construction site inspection on Tuesday, emphasizes: "The new substation is further proof of the consistent and forward-looking grid expansion in Carinthia, benefiting private households and companies." For Sebastian Schuschnig, Provincial Councillor for Energy, it is an "essential step for the security of the state as a business location, which is only possible with a well-developed energy infrastructure. The local economy needs a sustainable energy supply to meet its increasing electricity requirements so that local businesses can continue to operate successfully."