About 490 highly trained APG employees work every day to ensure safe, failure-free operation of all APG systems, to maintain the APG grid and, should malfunctions occur, to see to it that the glitch is resolved quickly. Moreover, steadily rising electricity consumption and an enormous increase in the feed-in of electricity from renewables mean that electricity transmission networks must be carefully expanded with an eye to tomorrow’s needs.

APG is responsible for maintaining grid voltage and frequency as well as for handling electricity imports and exports both to and from Austria. It provides a technically and economically optimised structure for grid operations and for supplying the distribution networks operated by the state energy companies.

Grid system operation: a matter of balance

APG is Austria’s control area leader, and is therefore responsible for balancing the supply and demand of electricity in Austria on an ongoing basis. When the grid frequency is maintained at a constant 50 hertz, the supply of electricity is stable and functions smoothly.

As the share of renewable energies in the total power supply rises, it becomes increasingly challenging to keep the balance between generation and consumption steady given that generation from renewables is subject to fluctuation based on weather conditions.

Network safety and security: the utmost priority

Safety and security are key values at APG. In operating its grid, APG ensures N-1 redundancy. This means that if one system component fails, another is available to replace it to ensure that the power supply is uninterrupted. Ongoing calculations ensure the N-1 security of the system. APG employees follow the highest of safety standards in the operation, servicing and maintenance of APG’s systems. Their safety, too, is of the utmost importance.