ČEZ Distribuce plans record investment, CZK 93bn grid upgrade

ČEZ Distribuce plans to invest more than CZK 93 billion in the development of its distribution system by 2030. The funds will primarily go towards expanding the grid to connect new customers and generation sources, while part of the investment will also focus on automating and digitising the system. ČEZ Distribuce informed the Czech News Agency (ČTK) today. The company has significantly increased connections for new customers this year, while energy storage facilities are also becoming more numerous.

This year, ČEZ Distribuce intends to spend around CZK 18.5 billion. "We are continuously carrying out investment projects focused on developing, renewing and reinforcing the distribution system so that we can meet our customers’ requirements. These primarily involve connecting new supply points for households, businesses and public administration, renewable electricity sources and energy storage facilities, particularly battery storage. A significant part of the investment is also directed towards the digitisation and automation of the distribution grid," said ČEZ Distribuce CEO Martin Změlík.

The need for increased investment is already apparent this year. In the first half of the year alone, ČEZ Distribuce connected 14.425 new supply points, 470 more customers than in the whole of last year. They included households, schools, businesses and large companies. The company now provides electricity distribution to 3,8 million supply points.

Energy storage facilities are also increasing rapidly. Since the start of this year, ČEZ Distribuce has received 4414 connection applications with total battery capacity of 96,1 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Three quarters are at the high-voltage level, 17 percent at the extra-high-voltage level and the remainder at the low-voltage level. At present, two standalone batteries with capacity of 37,4 MWh are connected to the company’s grid, having completed the process enabling operation to verify technology and compliance (UPOS).

Conversely, the number of newly connected solar power plants is gradually declining. So far this year, the company has connected 5981 photovoltaic installations with installed capacity of 191,7 MW. Year on year, the number of new facilities fell by 35 percent. ČEZ Distribuce’s distribution grid currently has 157.566 photovoltaic power plants connected, with installed capacity of 3,179 GW.

Other system operators are also increasing investment in electricity grids. ČEPS, the transmission system operator, plans to invest an average of CZK 13 billion annually. The money will primarily be spent on modernising and reinforcing key transmission system lines and on developing substations. Distributor EG.D announced an approximately 50-percent increase in investment this year, spending more than CZK nine billion during the year. Prague Energy will exceed CZK three billion for the first time this year through investment in grid development.