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GKK Etzenricht - a now dismantled facility for power interconnection between Germany and Czech
In 1988, a treaty between former West Germany and the former Czechoslovakia was assigned to realize a power interconnection between Bavaria and Czechoslovakia. As at those days the power grids of both countries were not synchronized, an HVDC interconnection was required, which was realized as back-to-back station in Etzenricht, Germany.
Construction of the facility started in 1991 and already in 1992, the trial operation started. In 1993, it went operational, but already in October 1995, it was shut-down, as in October 1995 the power grids of Germany and Czech were synchronized and a direct interconnection was possible. 2 years later, most parts of the facility were dismantled, but remained in place until 2009. Today only the valve hall is there. More information on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GKK_Etzenricht ( so far no article in Czech Wikipedia. Please make one!)
Pictures from 1999:
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Valve Hall with 3 transformers. On the other site of the hall, there are also 3 transformers. The hall housed both inverters, which were used for the HVDC back-to-back link.
Left of the transformers, there is a harmonic filter. The facility used originally 4. The other 3 were dismantled in 1997. Right from the hall, there are the DC reactors used for smoothening the DC.
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The harmonic filter
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The whole facility as it looked in 1999
![]()
The DC reactors, which were used for smootheing the DC.
Today all parts of the HVDC-back-to-back station are gone
![]()
Former valve hall with empty transformer bays
![]()
A view of the facility as it looks today
In 1988, a treaty between former West Germany and the former Czechoslovakia was assigned to realize a power interconnection between Bavaria and Czechoslovakia. As at those days the power grids of both countries were not synchronized, an HVDC interconnection was required, which was realized as back-to-back station in Etzenricht, Germany.
Construction of the facility started in 1991 and already in 1992, the trial operation started. In 1993, it went operational, but already in October 1995, it was shut-down, as in October 1995 the power grids of Germany and Czech were synchronized and a direct interconnection was possible. 2 years later, most parts of the facility were dismantled, but remained in place until 2009. Today only the valve hall is there. More information on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GKK_Etzenricht ( so far no article in Czech Wikipedia. Please make one!)
Pictures from 1999:
Valve Hall with 3 transformers. On the other site of the hall, there are also 3 transformers. The hall housed both inverters, which were used for the HVDC back-to-back link.
Left of the transformers, there is a harmonic filter. The facility used originally 4. The other 3 were dismantled in 1997. Right from the hall, there are the DC reactors used for smoothening the DC.
The harmonic filter
The whole facility as it looked in 1999
The DC reactors, which were used for smootheing the DC.
Today all parts of the HVDC-back-to-back station are gone
Former valve hall with empty transformer bays
A view of the facility as it looks today
