Vienna U-Bahn recycles energy

At the Altes Landgut subway station in Vienna, the braking energy of the wagons is converted into electricity. In a broadcast, Wiener Linien explains: “Whenever a subway stops in a station, braking energy is released. A large part of the energy gained is fed back and drives other moving trains. If this energy flow is not possible, the brake energy system is used. The excess braking energy is fed into the 20 kV AC network of Wiener Linien. In this way, escalators, elevators and lighting in stations are supplied with recycled electricity. ”Together with a pilot plant in the U2 station Hardeggasse, which has been in operation since 2018, around three gigawatt hours of electricity can be“ consumed ”each year. According to the operator, this corresponds to the electricity consumption of 720 households on average and saves around 400 tons of CO2.

“In the future, four more plants are to be built to enable energy recovery in the entire network. The next system is already in the starting blocks. It is planned for 2021 in the U4 station Ober St. Veit, ”says Günter Steinbauer, managing director of Wiener Linien.

Photo: © Wiener Linien

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