APG: Repair work under way

03.03.2008Wien

Windstorm Emma has caused severe damages to the regional and supra-regional grid of VERBUND-Austrian Power Grid AG (APG). There was a minor power outage in Styria, which, however, was quickly rectified.

In Upper Austria, in the district of Braunau, there were power failures in the 110 kV line and the adjacent 220 kV line. Several pylons had been damaged by the storm. Despite this, there was no interruption of supply in the APG transmission grid.

The measures on the part of the emergency task force were under way immediately: Thanks to hazardous weather warnings, the emergency personnel had been prepared at an early stage; at the weekend, approx. 100 persons were at work. First and foremost, the affected areas of the power lines had to be repaired. On Saturday, the power lines were inspected thoroughly.

Overall grid stability in Austria was not and is not at risk. The measures of APG to stabilize the grid, e.g. by means of intervention in the power plants and further congestion management measures, were enforced immediately. On the weekend, security of supply through APG to the regional distribution grids was given and has since been given (n-1 stability parameter is given). 

Currently, APG's experts are establishing a provisional line using reserve pylons in order to provide additional support for the safety of the grid. The work on this will take about a week. Thanks to the immediate reaction, power supply in APG's regional and supra-regional power grid was not interrupted.

"Thanks to regular emergency drills, our people were optimally prepared so that the meteorological emergency situation was quickly under control and the supra-regional supply to local power companies secured," says APG chairman of the board, Dr. Heinz Kaupa, giving a first summary of events. "In the fall of 2006 we prepared ourselves for this very emergency scenario, so that the emergency task force was able to demonstrate optimum reaction and sufficient reserve material was available on site."