Pilot project: reusing substation buildings
As part of our efforts to reduce environmental impact, Vattenfall Eldistribution will test circular construction and reuse of existing substation buildings.
Vattenfall Eldistribution AB owns thousands of secondary substations and is constantly reinvesting to ensure stable electricity delivery.
However, new building constructions made of concrete have a significant climate and environmental impact. Furthermore, it can sometimes be difficult to obtain a building permit for a new substation in populated areas, which incentivises the refurbishment of existing concrete substations. Sometimes, reusing and upgrading existing concrete buildings and simply exchanging switchgears and transformers instead of purchasing and installing a whole new secondary substation can be a more complex process.
It requires experience, collaboration, problem-solving skills, and proper documentation. Additionally, there is a lack of clear strategy for reuse when planning new secondary substations.
To address these issues, a pilot project exploring the reuse of secondary substation buildings was launched in early 2024 and has since become part of Vattenfall Eldistribution’s Technical Development Forum. Running until 2027, the project involves ten secondary substations and focuses on gathering environmental, economic and organisational data. The first secondary substation project was evaluated in 2025.
More about circularity
The transition to a circular economy is an opportunity, and renewable energy is an important piece of the puzzle in driving the circular economy forward.
Transform to a more circular business
Circularity is essential to securing future resource needs, reducing costs, and achieving our sustainability targets.
See also
Vattenfall‘s circular approach for office renovations
Vattenfall maximised the reuse of existing materials when renovating the office in Arnhem.
Wind turbine blades to skis
We are working with partners to produce skis with recycled materials from wind turbine blades which have reached the end of their operational life.
Creating demand for near-zero cement
Vattenfall and Cemvision have partnered to develop and supply near-zero emission cement, potentially reducing CO2 emissions by 95% compared to traditional cement by 2030.