Germany's transmission grid expansion is finally gathering pace after years of delays

TenneT, the operator of Germany's north-south transmission system, has reached several important milestones in the expansion needed to enable Germany to achieve its decarbonisation targets. The company said in a press release.

TenneT said it had made significant progress on construction of the SuedLink backbone line, which began in September last year after years of delays. The progress includes the start of construction on two of the four converter stations.

The line, which is intended to transmit electricity generated by wind farms in northern Germany to the main centres of consumption in the south, was originally due to enter service in 2022, when Germany's last nuclear power plants were scheduled to close. Under the current plan, SuedLink is to be completed in 2028. This date, however, is still being described as ambitious.

Other projects are also moving forward

According to TenneT, progress has also been made on another key line, SuedOstLink, with the first construction approvals in Bavaria. Once completed, it will transmit electricity from renewable sources in the country's northeast to southern Germany.

Alongside expanding the onshore transmission grid, TenneT is also continuing to develop offshore infrastructure. The company announced that cable production has begun for two new connections to the BalWin4 and LanWin1 offshore wind farms, with a total transmission capacity of 2 GW.

TenneT is one of Germany's four transmission system operators. It is responsible for operating a large part of the transmission system connecting northern, central and southern Germany. The company plans to build more than 3 500 kilometres of new lines by 2045.