The energy supplier Eins wants to be able to supply the city of Chemnitz with electricity without a connection to the nationwide grid in the event of a widespread blackout. To this end, a so-called "emergency grid system" has been in operation since May of this year, which will be the first to be activated in the event of an emergency, the company announced. The exact location of the plant is secret, a spokeswoman for the company told the German Press Agency in Chemnitz.
Most of the 250,000 inhabitants can be supplied in an emergency
The unit initially supplies one of the eins engine power plants with power so that the gas engines can be started in stages. These then take over the gradual restoration of the power grid for the majority of the city, which has a population of around 250,000 - with the exception of the districts on the outermost outskirts of Chemnitz.
The company says it has invested 1.9 million euros in the so-called "black start concept" - 70 percent of which comes from an EU fund to support companies in achieving the climate targets by 2050. According to the company, "intensive tests of the black start scenario" were also part of the concept. Employees trained for emergencies in a "specially developed virtual control room".
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