EoW January 2014

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News
Corporate
January 2014 35
Within the framework of an asset deal successfully concluded in July, Highvolt
Prüftechnik Dresden GmbH has acquired parts of the measuring systems division of
insolvent manufacturer bitGate data systems GmbH in Alsfeld, Germany.
“The deal has enabled us
to add highly qualified
services relating to pulse
current and voltage
measurements to our
already extensive portfolio
in the field of high-voltage
testing and measuring
systems,” said managing
director Dr Ralf Bergmann.
Highvolt’s new generation
of transient recorders
is characterised by the
particularly high number
of parallel measuring
channels. The use of
fibre-optic transmission
technologies facilitates
extremely reliable signal transmission with transient recorders such as the digital
system AD3000.
“Our customers will also benefit from a greatly expanded range of software, which can
be tailored precisely to the most varied customer needs,” added managing director
Bernhard Nick.
“The expansion of our product range to include further technologically sophisticated,
customer-specific measuring systems will further strengthen Highvolt’s standing in the
market.”
Highvolt Prüftechnik Dresden GmbH – Germany
Website:
Security issue for Germans
Germany’s power market is showing signs of declining security of supply, according
to Jochen Homann, the president of grid regulator Bundesnetzagentur.
Mr Homann stated, at an energy conference in Munich, that the nation’s four grid
operators, especially Tennet TSO GmbH and 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, needed
to intervene to stabilise the grids during 7,200 hours last year, compared with 1,800
hours in 2010. He explained that the interventions are a result of renewable generation
capacity putting a strain on grids.
Germany boosted its share of power supply from renewable energy sources to 23 per
cent last year, from 17 per cent in 2010, as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government
seeks to shutdown all nuclear reactors by 2022. Renewable energy’s reliance on
unpredictable wind and sunshine has led to intermittent power flows in the grid, which
operators need to regulate to prevent outages.
“There are alarming signs that point to a decline of security of supply, such as a higher
number of interventions into the grids by operators, the use of winter reserve plants
and the reduction of renewable output on some days,” Mr Homann said. “A blackout in
Germany is not imminent. Neither is a brownout, where single users of power are taken
offline selectively.”
Germany needs to expand its power grids and needs to change its renewable energy
policy to boost security of supply, Mr Homann asserts. The law grants uncapped
subsidies for operators of renewable projects.
Bundesnetzagentur – Germany
Website:
Highvolt expands its competence base in the
field of digital measuring systems
▲ ▲ AD3000 S6 for rack mounting with two fibre optical probes