About the project
The DirectGreenEnergy4Trains research project aims to advance the decarbonization of traction power by developing a controllable, virtual traction power plant based on renewable energy sources. The focus is on directly feeding wind and solar power, as well as other renewable energy sources, into Deutsche Bahn’s 110-kV/16.7-Hz traction power grid, bypassing the conventional power grid. This represents a technological milestone, as no market-ready solution for the direct injection of renewable energy sources into this specific grid level has existed to date.
The project is based on a case study in the city of Warburg (North Rhine-Westphalia), where such a power plant is to be built. The region has a suitable grid connection as well as existing and planned wind and solar power plants, supplemented by a biogas plant and a hydroelectric power plant. The goal is to design a virtual power plant with a feed-in capacity of approximately 50 MW that, using a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) meets the specific, highly dynamic load requirements of the traction power grid—particularly during short-term peak loads caused by trains starting or braking.
The project partners are jointly developing technical models, operational strategies, and economic concepts for the implementation of such a system. A key challenge lies in modeling and simulating aggregated load profiles at Grid Level 1, as well as in integrating battery storage systems, fuel cells, and, where applicable, biogas combined heat and power plants into a controllable overall system. These are supplemented by emulations in the CoSES laboratory at the Technical University of Munich as well as by field tests with real components.
A particularly innovative aspect is the development of a cross-organizational, digitally integrated operating model: The energy fed into the grid comes from facilities operated by different entities and must nevertheless be controlled and coordinated in real time. Additionally, integration into the traction power grid requires new converter technologies and specialized grid control strategies.
In addition to the technical design, business models are also being developed to ensure long-term economic viability. The project thus provides the foundation for the actual implementation of a pilot power plant in Warburg, which is intended to serve as a blueprint for further green traction power plants in Germany.
By consistently publishing data and models as open data, DirectGreenEnergy4Trains also actively contributes to knowledge transfer in research, industry, and society—with high relevance for the energy transition in the transportation sector.
