GE Vernova to modernize key cross-border grid hub for TransnetBW in Germany
- July 9, 2025
GE Vernova has announced it has been awarded a contract by German transmission system operator TransnetBW to modernize the Kühmoos grid node
Strategic Grid Node
Kühmoos is an important electrical substation in southern Germany that plays a vital role in cross-border power flows and regional grid stability. Once complete, the upgraded site is expected to enhance frequency regulation, voltage stability, and power exchange between Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Located near the Swiss border, Kühmoos serves as a critical transmission hub and connection point for two major pumped-storage hydropower plants. As part of Germany’s broader effort to strengthen grid infrastructure, the modernization of Kühmoos aims to increase the capacity and reliability of the substation to support the integration of renewable energy and rising power flows across interconnected European networks.
Scope of works
GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business will lead turnkey delivery of a new 380kV gas-insulated substation (GIS), replacing the existing air insulated switchgear, doubling capacity within a significantly smaller footprint while maintaining live operations throughout construction. The project includes 15 bays of compact GIS technology a 4 Main Busbar System, allowing for more flexible, secure, and spaceefficient power distribution.
The project also integrates a mechanical switched capacitor with damping network (MSCDN) – a technology that helps regulate voltage and reduce losses, especially as more high-power flows move through the grid.
Europe’s Grid of the Future
Europe is rapidly scaling up its renewable energy ambitions, with the EU power sector expected to generate around 70% of its electricity from renewables by 2030 and nearly 90% by 2050, according to the latest IRENA outlook. To reach these targets, grid modernization, accelerated infrastructure investment, and better cross-border coordination are critical. Recent insights from the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Energy Transition Index also underscore the urgent need to improve system flexibility and resilience, especially as electricity demand rises. Projects like Kühmoos – designed to enhance transmission capacity, system stability, and crossborder connectivity – are essential enablers of Europe’s energy transition and longterm competitiveness.
Reinforcing its longstanding presence
GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business is a global leader in delivering advanced technologies that connect, stabilize, and protect the grid. With this contract, the company reinforces its longstanding presence in Europe and ongoing commitment to building the resilient infrastructure needed to power the energy transition.
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Featured photograph (source: GE Vernova) shows (L to R): Dr. Rainer Pflaum, CFO, TransnetBW GmbH; Dr. Werner Götz, CEO, TransnetBW GmbH; Johan Bindele, Vice President & CEO of Grid Systems Integration at GE Vernova; and Stefan Hartge, Regional Leader for GSI, GE Vernova