"We are the bottleneck in energy production!"
Interview with Dietmar Tietz, Managing Director of WT Energiesysteme GmbH
Just as essential as the actual wind turbines and photovoltaic modules are the substations with correspondingly powerful transformers in the respective wind and solar parks, which feed the energy generated there into the power grid. WT Energiesysteme GmbH has found its business activity in this niche - and is currently bursting at the seams, as managing director Dietmar Tietz explains in the interview.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Tietz, in 2002 you and your then business partner Wolfgang Weber set out to shape the energy transition and have since built 240 substations with WT Energiesysteme GmbH. What specific problem do you solve with that?
Dietmar Tietz: The actual voltage with which operators of solar and wind farms work is around 400 V or 690 V in the low voltage range. These individual voltages are then bundled and generally transformed up to 20 or 33 kV. Once a power level of 20 or 30 MW is reached, it can finally be fed into the high-voltage lines at the usual 110 kV – and it is exactly this transformation that our substations accomplish with the transformer as the main component. From there, the sustainably generated electricity is then fed into the power lines of the utilities through corresponding connection points. We are essentially the bottleneck through which everything must pass.
Wirtschaftsforum: How comprehensive is the range of services with which you support your customers?
Dietmar Tietz: From the outset, it has been our company's declared goal to design, commission and connect the necessary substation installations to the network of the respective utility company. In the first years, we primarily achieved this through consortia with appropriate partners; however, we were able to perform our first planning service independently at an early stage. Today, we offer our clients a complete package and see ourselves not merely as contractors, but rather as partners: If we are provided with a plot of land with a suitable network connection point, we take over the complete primary and secondary planning from the building permit stage on our own, covering topics such as control, regulation, data transmission, and related areas. After purchasing the necessary components such as power transformers and medium-voltage switchgear from renowned companies, we create the execution planning and then construct the complete substation except for the excavation works, for which we rely on local partners. WT Energiesysteme not only handles the connection of the entire internal wiring but now also carries out the line connection to the utility's transmission network completely on its own – as well as various measurements to verify that everything has been erected in accordance with regulations.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do your customers also benefit from your long-standing experience?
Dietmar Tietz: After having completed over 200 substations, we know the connection conditions of each power provider inside out. This allows us to proactively advise our customers on the specific regulations that need to be adhered to in their particular projects. Thus, we consistently avoid unpleasant surprises during the project course – with great success: as 90% of our clients are repeat customers, with whom we have already implemented at least one project in the past.
Wirtschaftsforum: You started 23 years ago with two employees; today you employ nearly 200 people – and are still growing significantly.
Dietmar Tietz: We have been consistently expanding our manufacturing capacities and areas for a long time. For example, we began to establish our own switchgear production ten years ago in order to manufacture all our protection, control, battery, and data cabinets in-house and to provide them easily to our customers. Last year we also acquired an electrical plant construction company in Meißen and are now constructing a 4,600 m2 large workshop in Riesa to further increase our specialized manufacturing capacities. Moreover, with the support of the local economic development agency in Pirna, we have found a site where a new complex is to be built – as we are currently bursting at the seams.
Wirtschaftsforum: What other changes are currently occupying your company?
Dietmar Tietz: My co-founder Wolfgang Weber stepped down from the company some time ago. However, we were able to bring on board key executives like Michael Bohnefeld, Marek Reschke, Ralph Nickstadt, Heiko Richter, and Ronald Metzig, who are driving our company into the technological Champions League with new business areas such as battery storage systems and 380-kV networks. It is clear to all of us that without the willingness, the absolute determination, and the boundless commitment of nearly 200 people who work for us, we could never face the challenges we encounter on a daily basis. We are united by the common goal of making a positive contribution to our society – both in terms of technically facilitating the energy transition and through our involvement in local clubs, kindergartens, schools, and children's hospices. For us, this remains a matter of course!