Powering Berlin since 1884. That’s the legacy of the Trafowerk und Elektrizitätswerk. This is where Berlin’s electrical story began. Today, we’ll explore how this city became an “Elektropolis”.
Berlin emerged as a major economic hub in the late 19th century. This era saw rapid technical advancements. Electricity became increasingly important. Emil Rathenau recognized electricity’s potential. He established Germany’s first public electricity supply here in Berlin.
In 1884, the “Städtische Elektricitäts-Werke” was founded. This company was the predecessor to today’s Vattenfall GmbH. Rathenau had also founded the Deutsche Edison-Gesellschaft a year earlier. This was to develop Thomas Edison’s patents in Germany.
Initially, direct current was used. It soon became clear it couldn’t meet growing demands. Michael von Dolivo-Dobrowolsky, later AEG’s chief designer, started planning the Oberspree power plant in 1894. It was groundbreaking. It produced three-phase alternating current at 6,000 volts. This type of current is still used today. The Oberspree power plant began operating in 1897 with an initial output of 4.9 MW. The city of Berlin acquired it in 1899. Dolivo-Dobrowolsky also invented a three-phase motor. He helped create extensive cable networks for this new energy form.
Around 1899, Berlin started building its second three-phase power plant in Moabit. It went online in 1900 with a capacity of 7.2 MW. To reduce fuel consumption, they transitioned to superheated steam. These technical standards remained influential in German power plant construction until after World War I.
From 1900, moving grates were gradually introduced. These increased boiler performance. The grate surfaces became much larger. This eliminated heavy manual labor for boiler feeding. Mechanical conveyor systems were then needed. These transported coal to the boilers and removed ash. Coal conveyors ran high above the boilers. They automatically unloaded coal into bunkers above.
The Trafowerk und Elektrizitätswerk also embraced innovation. Starting in 1902, the first experiments with steam turbines began. These were developed by AEG with professors Riedler and Stumpf. By 1904/05, reliable AEG steam turbines were available. They initially offered more than double the power of steam engines around 5.6 MW per turbine. They also required only a quarter of the space.
The newly built Rummelsburg power plant was equipped exclusively with turbines. Their total capacity was 13.5 MW. From then on, only steam turbines were used in Berlin’s municipal power plants. By 1913, Berlin’s power plants had 16 turbines. These turbines had a total generator capacity of 110 MW.
A major technical advancement came in 1918. A 132-kilometer, 110-kV double overhead line was built quickly. This line supplied power from the Bitterfeld brown coal region. The overhead line reached Berlin at the Rummelsburg power plant. It initially transmitted 40,000 kW. This significantly increased Berlin’s supply security.
The “Städtische Elektricitäts-Werke” became the Bewag in 1923. This company laid the foundation for Berlin’s modern power grid. Today, Stromnetz Berlin continues this legacy. It ensures Berlin remains a vibrant and powered city. The Trafowerk und Elektrizitätswerk stands as a testament to Berlin’s pioneering spirit in electrical engineering.