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ELIA GROUP 2011 EXECUTIVE REPORT
EU Energy Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger officially opens the new 50Hertz control centre in Neuenhagen. The centre is fitted out with state-ofthe-art technology to ensure safe and secure grid management.
27 JUNE INAUGURATION OF THE NEW 50HERTZ CONTROL CENTRE IN NEUENHAGEN
28 JUNE DANIEL DOBBENI APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF ENTSO-E FOR
17 AUGUST FIRST HELIBORNE OPERATIONS ON LIVE LINES
50Hertz’s entire very-high-voltage grid in northern and eastern Germany is managed from its new, super-modern control centre in Neuenhagen, near Berlin. The inauguration of this extremely safe and secure control centre was attended by European Energy Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger and the State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economy and Technology, Jochen Homann. The centre plays a critical role in integrating large volumes of renewable energy.
A SECOND TWO-YEAR TERM
Heliborne operations on a live 380 kV line were carried out for the first time in Belgium on the Achêne-Lonny line. The main benefit was that the line could remain in service during the work. This is critically important given the major flows of energy that transit over the Elia grid. The purpose of the pilot project was to assess the feasibility of carrying out other heliborne operations on live lines in the future.
ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, represents the 41 operators of a grid comprising more than 300,000 km of overhead lines in 34 interconnected countries and over which electricity flows freely, from Portugal to Bulgaria and from Norway to Italy. The grid forms the foundation for the internal electricity market because it enables supply across Europe, promotes competition between suppliers and it enhances security of supply. ENTSO-E is responsible for drafting grid codes and the Ten-Year Network Development Plan for the Europe-wide transmission system.
22 JULY PARTICIPATION IN ATLANTIC WIND CONNECTION
Elia acquired - via Eurogrid International - a shareholding in the Atlantic Wind Connection project to develop the first direct current high-voltage offshore grid off the East Coast of the United States. In so doing, Elia has joined forces with Google, Marubeni, Good Energies and Atlantic Grid Development. Elia also signed a long-term consultancy contract with the project developer.
26 AUGUST PHILIP HEYLEN JOINS ELIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Following the resignation of Johan De Roo, who had sat on the Elia Board of Directors since 2001 on behalf of Publi-T, the Elia Board approved the appointment of Philip Heylen further to a proposal by core shareholder Publi-T. Philipe Heylen is the alderman for culture and tourism for the city of Antwerp.