History

More than 100 years ago electric power transmission and distribution by high voltages (HV) started its triumphal progress. Activities in the German country of Saxony remarkably contributed to the early development by the research work at the TH Dresden (today's Technical University), by the erection of Europe's first 110 kV transmission line (1911) as well as by the establishment of many related industrial companies.

One of these companies has been the Koch & Sterzel AG, Dresden, which moved into the field of electric power equipment, with measuring transformers, power transformers and HV test equipment. In this latter field Koch & Sterzel became the leading German manufacturer. Highlights of that time have been world's first 1 MV cascade transformer (1923), the development of impulse voltage generators up to 2.5 MV (1929, according to the multiplier circuit of Marx) and direct voltage generators up to 1 MV, mainly for research in nuclear physics. In parallel to HV generators, related controls, many special test devices, measuring sphere gaps, compressed gas capacitors and peak voltmeters were developed.

After World War II due to Soviet administration regulations in East Germany it became a state-owned company under the new name Transformatoren und Roentgenwerk (TuR) Dresden. Due to the development of EHV and UHV power systems with transmission voltages of 500 kV, 765 kV and 1165 kV in the Soviet Union, TuR produced the largest HV test systems of the world up to 3 MV alternating (AC) and 7.2 MV impulse voltages as well as very powerful direct (DC) voltage sources (e. g. 1350 kV, 1 A continuously).

In 1991 after the unification of Germany, TuR was bought by the Siemens AG. After several years of ownership of the Siemens AG it was decided to establish an independent company to deal with HV test equipment.
On December 1, 1995 HIGHVOLT Prüftechnik Dresden GmbH was founded as an independent, flexible and innovative company and continues the nearly 100 year old tradition of manufacturing systems and components for high voltage testing in Dresden, Germany.

Today HIGHVOLT Prüftechnik Dresden GmbH is a member of > Reinhausen Group.