Hitachi Energy to deliver one of world’s most powerful converter stations to Deutsche Bahn

Hitachi Energy has won an order from Deutsche Bahn to provide a 120 megawatt (MW) converter station for DB Energie to secure the power supply for the Greater Berlin rail network.

The network serves a 3.5 million metropolitan population and acts as a hub for several high-speed rail services to cities throughout Germany and adjacent countries.

The Thyrow converter station, located south of Berlin, will allow Deutsche Bahn to convert electricity from the public three-phase power distribution grid, which operates at frequencies ranging from 50 hertz (Hz) to 16.7 Hz, and feed it into the rail power grid, which will power trains and rail infrastructure.

The order follows one given to Hitachi Energy by Deutsche Bahn last year for the 160 MW Delitz converter station in the wider Halle/Leipzig area, which will be one of the most powerful rail power converter stations in the world.

The Hitachi Energy solution for the Thyrow converter station consists of three compact 40 MW static frequency converter modules that employ innovative power semiconductors from Hitachi Energy to offer a consistent and dependable power supply with maximum availability and low electrical losses.

The solution comprises a 30-year service contract and a digitalization package that will give Deutsche Bahn condition-based and reactive maintenance as well as data insights into the converter station's system status throughout its life cycle.