Fluvius installs 5000th digital distribution cabin in Mortsel
With the installation of the 5000th digital distribution cabin in Mortsel, grid operator Fluvius is taking another step in the further digitalisation of the electricity grid. This milestone underlines the ongoing commitment to make the grid smarter, more efficient and future-proof.
Fluvius installed the 5,000th digital cabin at Christus Koninglaan in Mortsel. An old booth from 1971 had to make way for the arrival of the cycle street. The perfect opportunity to install a new, smart distribution cabin here and to immediately increase its capacity. This is an essential upgrade to realise tomorrow's networks, given the strong growth of charging stations, solar panels and heat pumps in the area.
Digital as standard
Since 2021, Fluvius will equip all new distribution and customer cabins with digital functionalities, such as telemetering, teleoperation and telesignalisation, as standard. This contributes to more efficient grid management and faster response time in case of power failures. From the control room, Fluvius gains direct insight into the situation, allowing the grid operator to intervene more efficiently and reducing the number of physical interventions on site. Proactive adjustment also becomes possible and investments can be used in a more targeted way.
"Currently, 8 per cent of all cabs in Flanders are digitally controllable. Our goal is to digitise at least 12.5 per cent of the 60,000 cabs on the grid by 2030. We are well on track and are already seeing the benefits in practice: breakdowns can be located and resolved faster, resulting in less disruption for our customers," said Wim De Maesschalck, Expert Assets & Grid Architecture at Fluvius.
Investing in a future-proof network
The installation of digital cabins is part of Fluvius' broader investment plan, which aims to strengthen and digitalise the Flemish distribution networks. The growth of renewable energy sources, charging stations and heat pumps requires a flexible and intelligent grid that can quickly adapt to changing energy demand.
With this milestone, Fluvius is taking an important step in the further optimisation of the electricity grid. In the coming years, the company will continue to invest in an innovative and robust infrastructure to make Flanders ready for the energy transition.
Björn Verdoodt