Czech utility EG.D to invest over eight billion crowns in modernising substations and power lines this year

EG.D, a distribution company in the E.ON energy group, will invest over eight billion crowns in modernising power lines and substations this year, similar to last year. It plans to strengthen and modernise the grid to make it more reliable and able to connect new renewable energy sources. EG.D said in a press release.

„Last year, we connected more than 14,000 new solar power plants to our grid, with a total capacity of 310 MW. Although the number was lower than in the record year of 2023, their combined capacity was similar. This shows that demand for higher-capacity plants was greater than before; these are typically commercial installations,“ said EG.D's Vice-Chairman

Pavel Čada.

Last year, the distribution company invested 8.9 billion crowns in modernising and developing the grid, and it has a similar amount planned for this year. The largest share, around 70 percent of the total, will go towards modernising high- and low-voltage networks. In total, the plans cover 6,500 small and large projects across its distribution area: South Bohemia, Vysočina and South Moravia.

One of the largest investments is the continuation of the undergrounding of power lines in the border area near the confluence of the Dyje and Morava rivers. „We are preparing to put the overhead lines in this area underground, which will significantly improve the reliability of supply around Břeclav and Hodonín. This project is part of our strategic investments for 2025,“ said Ladislav Mikuláš, head of high- and low-voltage construction at EG.D. Last year, EG.D rebuilt a high-voltage line in Hodonín as part of the ACON project, which links the Czech and Slovak distribution grids.

In South Bohemia, this year's larger investments will focus on the Tábor area, where cable lines will be rebuilt in the Nádraží district and the grid modernised in the villages of Hroby and Nuzbely. In Písek, work is planned on lines and transformer stations around Semice and on Jeronýmova and Denisova streets in the city centre. „In Vysočina, for example, we will rebuild lines on Vysocká Street in Žďár nad Sázavou and in the square in Velké Meziříčí,“ Mikuláš added.

Further investments are planned in the very-high-voltage network. The Brno-sever transformer station, including a new 110 kV cable line that the distributor has been working on since 2023, will come into operation. The expansion of the Blansko substation will be completed in the summer. „These projects will allow us to increase grid capacity and ensure more reliable electricity supplies, not only for existing customers but also in view of future development in the areas concerned,“ said Tomáš Žáček, head of very-high-voltage construction. He added that the reconstruction of a line in České Budějovice is also significant, as it will ensure the stability of the grid in South Bohemia.

Gas Distribution, part of the E.ON group, distributes gas in South Bohemia and the Pelhřimov area of Vysočina. This year, it will invest in replacing its oldest regulating stations, local networks and the rerouting of local networks and high-pressure gas pipelines. A large share of the investments will go towards rebuilding regulating stations in South Bohemia, including underground stations on Klaricova, Plzeňská and Háječek streets in České Budějovice, as well as conventional regulating stations in Protivín, Cerhonice and Dynín.