Polish power company TAURON has completed the reconstruction of the Prądnik power substation in Kraków, south Poland (27 July).
“Power grids are a priority investment for the TAURON Group. We are aware that these investments are not only a condition for the success of the energy transformation but also for the economic development of entire regions. The result of the reconstruction of the Prądnik substation is an excellent example of this,” said Paweł Szczeszek, President of the TAURON Group.
The 110 kV Prądnik substation is one of three high-voltage node stations that are strategically important for Kraków’s energy security, TAURON said. The station’s reconstruction is expected to improve energy supply reliability and streamline processes for connecting new customers in the northern part of Kraków.
“In just the past year, we invested 670 million Polish złotych (151.8 million euros) in the distribution in Małopolska,” Mr Szczeszek added.
The old overhead station was located in a densely populated urban area, with worn-out installed equipment including the 110 kV switches and disconnectors as well as their pneumatic drives.
“The Prądnik GPZ [Main Supply Point] supplies nearly 50,000 TAURON customers and 308 SN/nN stations. During the work, it was uncommon for the construction to be carried out on an active object and while the old station was still functioning as a node station,” said Radosław Pobol, President of TAURON Dystrybucja. “Due to Prądnik’s significance in supplying Kraków, it was not possible to shut it down during the construction period. Thus, the switching of receiving circuits from the old station to the new equipment was done gradually and in a way that was unnoticeable to customers.”
The kV Prądnik power substation was built in 1947 and, until its modernisation, it was the oldest high-voltage station in Kraków. Over the years, the Prądnik GPZ has been modernised on several occasions. The expansion of the station began in 1958, and with each technological change, the facility became increasingly important for the city’s power supply.