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Siemens invests heavily in transformer factory extension
Germany Finance
Siemens Energy is investing approximately €220 m to expand its transformer factory in Nuremberg, and started on 5 September with the laying of the foundation stone for the new works. This investment decision is Siemens’ response to the sharp increase in global demand for large transformers, which are crucial for grid expansion.
Currently, Siemens Energy employs nearly 1000 people at the factory in Nuremberg, where transformers have been manufactured since 1912. To meet rising demand, the facility will be expanded by around 16 000 square metres, increasing
production capacity by approximately 50 %. Construction will take place while operations at the factory continue, with the new production areas expected to be available by 2028. The Free State of Bavaria is supporting the expansion with up to €20 million in technology funding – aiming to sustainably strengthen Nuremberg as a hub for innovation, research, and development. Dr Markus Söder, the minister president of Bavaria, commented: “Nuremberg is becoming a hub for the energy transition: With an investment of €220 million, Siemens Energy is creating 350 modern jobs in a place that has been successfully shaping
energy history for over a century. We are investing up to €20 million in research and development for this project alone. Thus, we are creating a climate for an economically friendly future, secure jobs, and environmentally friendly technologies. Only with forward-looking and courageous policies will we be able to master today’s challenges and thereby secure tomorrow’s prosperity.”
Last year, Siemens Energy announced a €90 million investment at the same site for a new converter production facility. In total, the company has invested around €1 billion in Germany over the past three years.
Voith completes tests on key mega-storage components
Australia Energy storage Voith has successfully completed two major factory acceptance tests (FATs) for the large-scale pumped storage project Snowy 2.0. Key generator components (U4 rotor pole and U2 stator bar) were accepted at the Voith facility in Shanghai, while digital and hydraulic governors for Units 5 and 6 passed final FATs in Heidenheim. Both FATs were completed on schedule and received positive feedback from the customer.
Snowy 2.0 is a pumped storage battery megaproject in New South Wales, Australia. The dispatchable generation project expands upon the original Snowy Mountains scheme connecting two existing dams through a 27 km underground tunnel and a new, underground pumped-hydro power station.
It is expected to be rated at 2.2 GW of capacity and about 350 000 MWh of large-scale storage to the national electricity market.
In Voith’s Shanghai workshop, FATs focused on critical generator parts: the rotor poles for Unit 4 and stator bars for Unit 2. The components met all technical specifications. The rotor poles demonstrated uniform magnetic flux density, high-quality lamination, and precise winding, while the stator bars showed consistent insulation thickness, excellent partial discharge values, and precise bar end shaping. The entire FAT process – from raw material inspection to final testing – was conducted under a structured, traceable quality framework. At Voith’s Heidenheim location, the Automation team conducted integrated FATs
for Units 5 (asynchronous) and 6 (synchronous). These tests included both the digital and hydraulic governors, assembled and tested in their final cabinet configuration with live connections to the control system. With the successful completion of these key FATs, Voith is well positioned for the next project phase in Australia. “Snowy 2.0 will underpin the future of clean energy in Australia – and we are proud to contribute key technologies and expertise to make it a success,” says Bill Armstrong, Senior VP Global Large Projects at Voith Hydro. The project is now expected to be generating power by late 2027 and fully operational by the end of 2028, despite challenges including complex geology and supply chain disruptions.
Former lignite mine hosts solar park
Germany Solar power Following the completion of an extensive approval process, the construction of RP Global’s first solar PV park in Germany has begun. The 50 MWp solar project is located in Harbke, on the Wulfersdorf spoil tip of one of Germany’s oldest lignite mining areas, on the former East-West border.
In its first phase, the PV plant is scheduled to achieve a capacity of 50 MWp. This is the first German project by RP Global, developed in collaboration with EPC MaxSolar. An expansion of the project is planned for the future.
The solar park Harbke is being built on an
area that is already crossed by two existing power lines. Thanks to this infrastructure, the electricity generated in future can be fed into the grid efficiently and without the need for additional power lines.
Lignite has been mined at Harbke for decades. After World War II, the open-cast mine was divided and used as an important source of energy on both sides of the border. Following a decision by the municipality of Harbke to repurpose the area, green electricity will now be generated there.
A special circumstance is being taken into account in the construction: access to the project site runs along the former border, the
10 | September 2025 |
www.modernpowersystems.com
so-called ‘death strip’. The border strip left behind by the GDR border guards in 1989 and better known as the “Kolonnenweg”, is a listed historical monument. Rigorous precautions are therefore taken to preserve the historical elements when delivering the park components to the construction site. The Harbke PV plant actively promotes the expansion of solar power and has been included in the ‘Global Sustainable Municipality nationwide’ initiative as one of five model municipalities. The aim is systematically to integrate Agenda 2030 and its 17 global sustainability goals (SDGs) into administrative structures.
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