Ormazabal designs the grid connection system for Europe's largest charging station.

Since August 2021, electric car drivers at the Sortimo Innovation Park in Zusmarshausen, Germany, have been able to charge their vehicles at 72 charging points while sipping a coffee on the terrace or their children playing in the playground. To ensure that the currently approximately 1,000 vehicles can be reliably charged with green electricity every day, a power distribution system is required that converts the electricity fed into the grid into direct current and distributes it to the charging points. When designing this system, it was important to consider that the Sortimo Innovation Park will be expanded in the future. In coordination with the master planner, Ormazabal contributed our expertise in medium-voltage technology and equipped five transfer stations with our switchgear.

Sortimo is one of the world’s leading suppliers of vehicle interior fittings. In 2018, construction began not far from the company’s headquarters in Zusmarshausen, Bavaria, on what is now Europe’s largest charging park. It is designed as a campus-like area housing catering and retail spaces, as well as training facilities. The Swabian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Schwaben) uses it to provide training on the topics of e-mobility, energy efficiency, and digitalization. Plans are already underway to expand the fleet with 84 additional charging points, which will serve around 4,000 vehicles per day. This corresponds to an annual production of around 88 million kWh.

Of the 72 charging points currently available, 24 are fast chargers with a capacity of 420 kW each, including 12 Tesla V3 Superchargers. Charging times are between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on the power level (between 35 and 280 kW). Although green electricity is currently still obtained from renewable sources, in the long term it will be generated by Sortimo itself. A photovoltaic system on the roof of its nearby factory, with a capacity of 3,000 kWp, will be responsible for supplying it. In addition, the waste heat from the charging stations and from the cooling of the transformer substations will also be utilized using a heat pump.

The Sortimo Innovation Park is connected to the LEW Lechwerke public supply grid, from which the park is supplied and from which it can draw additional energy if necessary. To implement the grid connection, the master planner Steinbacher Consult called on our expertise in medium-voltage distribution. Maximilian Mayer from Steinbacher Consult’s Energy Department explains: “We turned to Ormazabal because of the team’s excellent advice and were convinced by the technology. We called in external experts so that we could finalize the exact nature of the facilities and the interior design of the stations, including the required sizes, during the planning phase.”

“Ormazabal’s support was excellent throughout all phases of the service. From joint planning to commissioning, and also now during the service period, we have always enjoyed smooth communication channels and solution-oriented teamwork. I am now looking forward to future projects.” Maximilian Mayer from Steinbacher Consult’s Energy Department.

1250 kVA transformer / ga/gae cell -24 kV – 630 A 3 medium voltage cells type ga/gae 1 medium voltage measurement cell for the charging park 2 connection centers, each with a 1250 kVA transformer Switches automatic equipped with protection devices

Ormazabal Solution:

Ormazabal has been awarded the contract to equip the connection centers. So far, five concrete centers have been supplied, arranged in a semicircle around the charging park, fully assembled in several phases by a collaborating company. Ormazabal has coordinated the process from planning to commissioning and has provided the medium-voltage switchgear and 1250 kVA transformers. For the latter, consideration was given to the fact that charging points for Tesla models require an increased voltage of 480 V on the low-voltage side.

At the charging hubs, the alternating current is also converted into direct current. This direct current is then distributed to the charging points. The circuit breakers are also equipped with protective elements so that, for example, in the event of a short circuit, only the affected portion is disconnected from the grid. This gives electric car drivers a chance to rely on trouble-free charging.

Ormazabal Challenge:

The expandability and modular design of the charging infrastructure, both in terms of the number of charging points and their performance, posed a challenge in terms of energy supply. This was solved by arranging the distribution cells in rings instead of the usual star shape. This way, additional charging hubs can be easily integrated later. This special type of construction and the resulting power distribution via a DC busbar are unique and were realized thanks to eLoaded’s technology. At the connection centers, the AC voltage is also converted into DC voltage. This DC current is then distributed to the charging stations. The circuit breakers are equipped with protective elements so that, for example, in the event of a short circuit, only a portion of the current is disconnected from the grid. This way, electric vehicle drivers can rely on trouble-free charging.

Main customer benefits

• Jointly developed concept for the most practical yet simplest solution for Sortimo’s specific needs.
• Thanks to the cooperation between Steinbacher Consult and Ormazabal, the customer received an optimal total package for its charging infrastructure and medium-voltage technology.
• Hassle-free charging and a secure supply thanks to protection technology that ensures only a portion is disconnected from the grid in the event of a short circuit.
• The charging park can be expanded thanks to the ring-shaped arrangement of the distribution cells, allowing for seamless integration of additional charging stations.