Chemnitz ready for an emergency: new power grid at Blackout!

Chemnitz ready for an emergency: new power grid at Blackout!

In times when the world of cyber attacks and the multitude of challenges in the energy sector is characterized, the energy supplier makes one in Chemnitz the task of preparing the city for an emergency. On July 10, 2025, the focus is on the well thought -out "black start concept". This was developed to supply Chemnitz as an island network in the event of a large -scale power failure, regardless of the network of Germany. As the Volksstimme has put one for this since May 2023.

The location of the facility is guarded like a state secret. Your task is to supply one of the engine heating plants with excitement so that the gas engines can be started gradually. These then take over the gradual reconstruction of the power grid, with most of the approximately 250,000 Chemnitz residents benefit. Only a few districts that were incorporated after 1990 are initially left out, as the detailed planning shows.

technical preparations and investments

One has invested a whopping 1.9 million euros in the black start concept, 70 percent of which come from the EU fund for corporate funding. At a time when the public and private sector can be affected by the effects of blackouts, it is of great importance for Roland Warner, the chairman of the one-management management, to emphasize the crisis resistance of the power grid. Intensive tests, which were carried out as part of this initiative, help to identify and eliminate potential weaknesses in good time. These tests are part of a more comprehensive preparation, which also includes a virtual conductor where the employees play through realistic scenarios.

An example of the urgency of such precautions is the youngest blackout in Spain and Portugal, which affected numerous citizens in both countries in spring 2025. The consequences of such a failure are far-reaching: standstill in public life, production stilings, traffic chaos, no more card payments possible and even heaters and cooling systems fail, as is on eins.de in detail.

protection of critical infrastructures

The importance of stable power supply becomes particularly clear when you look at the dependence of critical infrastructures such as energy, water, transport and health care. According to a report by the Federal Center for Political Education, concepts for the quick restoration of the power supply after a network breakdown are essential. Whether with a top-down strategy through neighboring power grids or an independent bottom-up strategy based on black-start power plants-one has now taken a first step in the right direction.

These developments are essential because the pressure on the power grid operators grows. Technical challenges from renewable energies and the growing threat from cyber attacks make it necessary to act early. Finally, the risk of domino effects has come into play in a blackout, whereby traffic accidents and restrictions on emergency services can further increase the harmful consequences, such as the bpb.de point out.