100 years of PFISTERER – connecting power for the future

Whether rapidly growing megacities, a sustainable energy transition or clean mobility, the challenges for employees at PFISTERER are no less today than they were in the past.

Their task is to find solutions for safe and reliable energy transmission, on both small and large scales, and often unnoticed, in overhead lines and substations, or home power connections and also in trains and wind turbines. PFISTERER products play an essential role in our everyday lives. With its sights always set on solutions for the future, the company celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021.

“Karl Pfisterer founded our company in 1921 with the goal of developing a more efficient and safer electrical fitting. His dedication to providing the best solution remains with PFISTERER to this day and encompasses all areas of energy infrastructures – from generation to transmission and also distribution. As a result, we are one of the world’s leading independent manufacturers of cable accessories, insulators and overhead line solutions” says Dr. Konstantin Kurfiss, Executive Board member of PFISTERER. The family-owned company is an inventor, pioneer and solution provider with unparalleled innovative expertise that has shaped the future of the energy industry for 100 years. PFISTERER solutions can be found in all types of energy grids, above and below ground. PFISTERER products are used in rail networks, high-speed trains such as the ICE and TGV and railway safety systems. “Because we are present at countless energy transmission interfaces, our innovations have a huge impact on our partners,” Dr. Kurfiss explains. “That is why we are always thinking about the future and the trends in energy transmission and distribution. We offer solutions today for the challenges of tomorrow”.

The questions the company faces as it looks to the future are more topical than ever; how can we sustainably generate the energy to meet future needs? How do we strengthen power grids against outages caused by extreme weather in a changing climate whilst bringing energy into harmony with the environment and the needs of fast-growing urban populations?

Growing urban areas – the challenges of the future
Global energy demand has risen continuously – by more than 160 percent since the 1970s alone – and continues to rise, with a further 30 percent increase expected by 2040. Over the same period, the number of city-dwellers worldwide will double from 3.6 billion to 6.3 billion. “To maintain a reliable supply to growing urban areas in the future, more electricity has to be transported into cities – and over ever greater distances: inland from offshore wind farms, and from solar power plants in the South, to industrialised areas in the North. This is made possible for example by our silicone composite insulators – for compact and aesthetic high voltage transmission lines that enjoy high public acceptance” said Stephan Götschel, Executive Board member of PFISTERER Holding AG.
As an offshore pioneer with experience in numerous wind farm projects, PFISTERER also offers the right connection technology for wind turbines, offshore platforms, battery storage facilities and solar power plants. Due to extreme weather associated with climate change, the risk of blackouts is increasing worldwide. Here, PFISTERER’s unique emergency concepts, help energy suppliers carry out repairs quickly in the event of damage and can also be used as temporary bypass systems for network upgrades, overhauls, maintenance and testing.

PFISTERER brings the power to the people – above and below ground
PFISTERER has supported the energy industry with overhead line technology, cable systems and components for power distribution since 1921. Initially for the newly developing local networks, then from 1937 also in the high voltage (HV) sector. The first products were steel components like hangers. Later, HV overhead line clamps and tension fittings were manufactured at the Gussenstadt plant, established in 1946. These successful solutions quickly gained an international reputation. In the 1960s, the expansion of HV transmission networks in Europe was in full swing. Since then, solutions by PFISTERER have been tried and tested in the construction of overhead lines in extreme Alpine terrain, in the South African desert, in the Gulf region and at the Guri Dam in Venezuela – from 110 V to 1,100 kV. As a pioneer in HV cable connection technology, PFISTERER also offers accessories and solutions for submarine and underground cable systems, including turnkey cable installation. Smart accessories for collecting operating data will play an increasingly important role in the future.

Innovation as a business driver
PFISTERER meets future challenges with the knowledge that comes from one hundred years of experience. This expertise has developed continuously with advances in technology – and technology has advanced thanks to PFISTERER’s expertise. Numerous innovations and patents continuously drive our growth. Their success has turned PFISTERER into a globally active company – with a distribution network in 70 countries and 21 locations in Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. With a workforce of 2100 employees worldwide, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and a seamless quality management system, all ensure that we will continue to provide the right solutions into the future.

Our anniversary website 100years-pfisterer.com offers entertaining insights into future and past requirements for power grids around the world – and PFISTERER’s solutions.