Sustainability at TransnetBW

The energy transition comes with a substantial increase in the feed-in of renewables. All available power line system capacity is urgently needed to be able to transport the high power flows. And transmission capability differs depending on the weather and season. Using dynamic line rating, we can significantly increase the load capacity of our electricity grid.

Work to expand the electricity infrastructure is urgently needed in order to maintain security of supply for the public and industries in the south, and to transport renewable electricity from north to south. The existing electricity infrastructure is forseeably insufficient for the requirements of the energy transition. New HVDC transmission lines are therefore needed to trnsport electricity reliably and with minimal losses to where it is needed. One of these electricity superhighways is ULTRANET.

The „ Stromnetz 2050“ ("Power Network 2050") study by TransnetBW illustrates one of the goals of the energy system in Germany. it analyses the demands a largely climate-neutral society would place on systems and grids. In this study published in April 2020, TransnetBW lays the foundation for future grid development in south-western Germany and strengthens the future viability of Baden-Württemberg as a location for business.

In the autumn of 2021, TransnetBW launched the BANULA R&D project (a German acronym based on "barrier-free and user-friendly charging opportunities") as part of consortium with various companies, research institutes and grid operators. Working on close collaboration, we want to develop a data and information hub for a nationwide virtual balancing area in Germany. The benefit: in future, customers should be able to charge their EVs at any charging point in the grid – for example, at their workplace, in the parking building of while shopping – with just a single charging card.

Birdlife in Baden-Württemberg is close to our hearts. That's why we have been installing nesting aids in our electricity poles for protected bird species such as little owls and peregrine falcons for a number of years. We help our partners from Germany's Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) to ring the young peregrine falcons – not an easy task 75 meters above ground level.

The new Technology Centre in North Baden was built using the post-beam construction method. As natural and sustainable raw material, wood is not only environmentally valuable, but also has good insulation properties, providing our employees with a comfortable indoor climate. The modular structure using uniform construction elements also meant it was possible to save materials. In addition to the construction material, the energy plan was chosen quite deliberately: Natural light was combined with efficient artificial light using LED technology. Geothermal energy with a heat pump and four wells is sused for heating and cooling.

To ensure an environmentally friendly design in outdoor areas, we kept surface sealing to the absolute minimum. Where possible, areas were developed to accommodate a drainage system, and rainwater is used for watering. Parking spaces with charging points will be available for our visitors.

Women make up almost one-third of the workforce at TransnetBW. To ensure interaction between our female employees, we set up the women's network "eva" in February 2018. eva forms the infrastructure for communications culture that enables female employees to network easily and beneficially within the company. All women at TransnetBW can interact, learn from each other and contribute to the development of the company. in addition to regular network meetings, the eva team organises events and provides support with the recruiting process. After all, in our quest for the best brains, it helps if candidates can talk with their potential future co-workers.

Mental health is important to TransnetBW. For many years, all employees and managers have hat access to free, confidential psychological counselling. This offer was expanded at the start of 2021. Now family members of TransnetBW employees can also make use of this counselling service. We understand that stress experienced by those closest to us can turn into stress for ourselves. We firmly believe this offer will help to minimise the negative impacts of mental illnesses, and thus improve the mental health of all employees and their families.

The complexity and rate of change in the energy system in the context of energy transition create new challenges for us as transmission system operators: With TransNEXT, our in-house innovation process, we can draw on the potential and the many different ideas from more than 1,000 employees. TransNEXT was initiated in 2019 and concluded with three innovation projects that were implemented in stages. With the theme of "Collectively thinking the energy transition through to the end", TransNEXT began its second round in 2021. This time it will have a clear focus on a central question and the connection between internal and external drivers.