Brežice Hydropower Plant
Project
Cirkovce - Pince Transmission Line
Facility name
2 x 400 kV Cirkovce-Pince transmission line and 400/110 KV Cirkovce substation
Investor / Client
ELES d.o.o.
Location
Cirkovce - Pince, Slovenia
Time period
1996 - 2022
Facility size / Capacity
Transmission line: rated voltage: 400 kV, length: 79 km; Switchyard: Substation Cirkovce: 400/110 kV
The Cirkovce-Pince transmission line increases the reliability of the transmission network and the operation of the Slovenian electric power system.
Project basis and goals
The 2 x 400 kV Cirkovce-Pince transmission line interconnected Slovenia and Hungary at the 400 kV voltage level, which is the only neighbouring country that has not yet been connected to Slovenia. More broadly, the DV 2 x 400 kV transmission line on the Cirkovce-Pince route is part of the interconnection between the three countries of Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia, which has increased the operational reliability of the Slovenian electricity system, significantly increased the import transmission capacity and the reliability of the transmission network in this part of the country, and improved the reliability of the supply to Slovenian consumers in the event of outages of major production facilities or other unforeseen events and operational problems.
Project solutions
The implementation of this goal dates back to 1996, when conceptual designs were drawn up, on the basis of which the final variant was selected in 2006 as the basis for the preparation of more detailed technical documents - the conceptual design for the national location plan. As part of the detailed routing of the transmission line from 2006 to 2012, intensive coordination was also carried out at the same time, both with the spatial planning authorities, as well as with the local community and the interested public in the 10 municipalities. During the preparation of the project, there were also additional requests for the relocation of the Cirkovce Substation switchyard to the east and the relocation of a 5.7 km section of the 220 kV Cirkovce-Žerjavinec line. During the preparation of the project documentation, more than 20 optimizations were carried out on individual sections, which also resulted in the creation of several additions to the Conceptual Project.
In 2012, the acquisition of the easement began, the development of the project for obtaining a building permit (PGD) and the obtaining of authorities consents on the basis of which the first partial building permit was obtained in 2020.
Challenges and specifics
The technical solutions for the transmission line were designed in accordance with the legislation that requires the use of Slovenian SIST standards for the design of transmission lines. Due to ornithological requirements and aviation legislation, the construction of the pylons was adapted in part of the route to use the "donava" pylon top design, which is the first example of this top design being used on a 400 kV voltage level in Slovenia. It is also the first time that a modified conductor bundle has been used, introducing an additional conductor, which has resulted in new mechanical dimensioning of the individual pieces of equipment as well as the design of the pylons and foundations. IBE has therefore redesigned a range of two-system steel lattice pylons for this project, as well as using a very rare deep foundation solution with driven reinforced-concrete piles.
IBE services
From the very beginning of the project, IBE has been involved as the project designer in the preparation of all phases of the project documentation, from technical bases, conceptual design, the project for obtaining a building permit, to the tender documentation (DZR), which served as the technical basis for the selection of the contractor. The design documentation for the construction implementation (PZI) was the basis for the start of the works, which culminated in the elaboration of the as-built project documentation (PID).