Corrosion protection for listed substation

Special anti-corrosion paint is used to refurbish a historic substation. Several new protective coatings will protect the old metal structure from weathering, corrosion and rust in the future.

Bayernwerk Netz GmbH (Bayernwerk) is giving the portal at the transformer station at Walchensee power plant a fresh coat of anti-corrosion paint. This is a metal scaffold, around 44 meters high, which marks the end of a high-voltage line and forms the entrance of the power lines to the substation. Specialists are currently applying special anti-corrosion paint to the listed structure. In this way, the historic structure should continue to serve its purpose for as long as possible. Bayernwerk is spending around 215,000 euros on renovating the almost 100-year-old substation portal.

Protection against weathering, corrosion and rust

By removing the old paint and applying fresh coats of paint to the substation portal, Bayernwerk is making the unique, historic facility fit for the next decades. The portal has an area of around 1,500 square meters and around 1,830 kilograms of fresh paint will protect the metal structure from the weather in the future. The work is expected to run until October 20. Specially trained experts will climb onto the metal scaffolding and apply the protective coating. "This job requires a head for heights," explains Christian Poppe, the responsible project manager at Bayernwerk. "The portal at the substation at the Walchensee power plant is not only a particularly aesthetic structure, it is also a very tall structure, as the connected conductor cables span the buildings of the power plant," says Christian Poppe. The substation portal rises some 44 meters into the air and can be seen by power plant visitors from afar.

A fresh protective coating in three layers

Ten specialists from RS Korrosionsschutz GmbH in Jena, which was commissioned by Bayernwerk, are working on the refurbishment. In the first step, they are building a tarpaulin enclosure around the portal. Then they remove the current coating with compressed air needles. Thanks to the enclosure, no paint residues get into the environment, which can then be disposed of properly. After removing the aging and brittle old coating, several new protective layers are applied. A special feature compared to modern utility poles is that the portal is not galvanized for historical reasons. Thanks to the use of a new type of special paint that can also be painted in damp conditions, the work can be carried out regardless of the weather.

Special care for a historical jewel

Since 1924, the Walchensee power plant has been generating electricity that is distributed in the region via the affiliated Bayernwerk substation. The goal of the distribution network operator is to ensure an uninterrupted and secure supply of electricity and, at the same time, to preserve this special monument to energy supply in Bavaria in its original form. According to Christian Poppe, the refurbishment is therefore not just about refurbishing the technology to ensure security of supply, but also about maintaining and preserving a special testimony to Bavarian history: "The portal at the Walchensee power plant is a jewel that we take special care of. This is the cradle of Bavaria's electricity supply; it was from here that Oskar von Miller established the state's power grid in the 1920s." The transmission lines and substations built back then are still important routes and nodes in Bayernwerk's distribution network today.

Power supply also secured during refurbishment

During the refurbishment, the circuit affected by the work on the portal is switched off. In this way, Bayernwerk ensures the occupational safety of the experts who are refurbishing the portal. For the power supply in the region, the shutdown does not mean any restrictions, as alternative lines in the network are available for supply during planned switching operations. (OM-10/23)

Contact

Bayernwerk AG
Lilienthalstraße 7
93049 Regensburg (Germany)
Phone: +41 9 41-2 01-00
E-mail: info@bayernwerk.de
www.bayernwerk.de

About Bayernwerk AG

Bayernwerk AG supports private households, commercial enterprises and municipalities with a comprehensive range of energy solutions. Together with its subsidiaries, Bayernwerk offers its customers products and services in the areas of electricity and gas grids, street lighting, e-mobility, decentralized power generation, water supply and wastewater disposal.

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