Alstom Grid Gebze factory built the biggest ever special industrial transformers for German railways

Alstom Grid's Gebze factory in Turkey, one of the most modern high voltage transformer factories and competency centres in the world for industrial applications transformers, has successfully designed, manufactured and tested the biggest ever converter transformers for the German railway high speed network of Deutsche Bahn AG. These transformers are unique by their dimensions and technical specifications.

Measuring a total of 27.5 metres long by 5.5 metres wide and 9.1 meters high, the new transformers are the largest ones ever built for the German railways. Alstom Grid's Gebze site has previously supplied single tanks converter transformers to the German Railways, which are similar but smaller in size, and these have been operating successfully for the last 12 years.

The new converter transformers will play a critical role in feeding the input and output of a Frequency Converter Station installed in Mannheim, Germany, an important railway junction. The main purpose of these transformers is to step-down the 50 Hz network voltage, to feed the Frequency Converter, and to step-up the voltage back to 16.7 Hz.

Mr. Adil Tekin, Alstom Turkey Country President said: "This major achievement demonstrates that the quality standards, modern manufacturing techniques and comprehensive test laboratories of our Gebze plant have the capacity to meet all national and international standards and any kind of dedicated quality, delivery and cost requirements of the customers. We export 85 percent of our production to all over the world from USA to Germany, and from South Africa to Venezuela."

Alstom Grid has been manufacturing in Gebze since 1966 and is one of the most modern high voltage transformer factories in the world, with the production capacity of 36,000 MVA*. The services factory covers an area of around 90,000 m², employs nearly 1,000 people and is the world leader in manufacturing special transformers and reactors used in heavy industry. The Alstom Gebze in-house testing laboratory and transformer repair factory is also one of the biggest factories in this field.

*MVA -MegaVolt Ampere