The German Federal Grid Agency in Bonn presented plans for expanding the electricity transmission network by 2045 on Friday. Five new onshore high-voltage transmission lines are therefore needed, from north to south and northwest to east. The starting and ending points of the lines are defined in the network development plan – the exact route of the lines has not yet been determined. There is regularly strong resistance from residents against the construction of the lines.
Renewable electricity from wind energy is mainly generated in the north and east and at sea, where the wind blows particularly strongly. However, the biggest consumers of electricity – especially large industrial companies – are in the south and west of Germany, as highlighted by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs.
“For a climate-neutral electrical system, we need a significant amount of additional power lines by 2045,” explained the head of the grid agency, Klaus Müller, on Friday. The new network development plan shows for the first time “what electrical network we need to complete the energy transition”.
The five new lines will have a capacity of two gigawatts each. Two of them will start in Schleswig-Holstein, one of which will bring electricity to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the other to Baden-Württemberg. The other three routes start in Lower Saxony and lead to Hesse, Saxony and Baden-Württemberg. The network agency also confirmed the planned high-voltage line between Thuringia and Bavaria.
Overall, the plan envisages the construction of new lines with a length of around 4,800 kilometers and the reinforcement of existing lines with an additional length of around 2,500 kilometers. According to the Ministry of Economy, the transmission network currently has a length of around 37 thousand kilometers.
In the network development plan, the four transmission network operators Amprion, Tennet, TransnetBW and 50 Hertz determine every two years what measures are necessary to optimize, reinforce and expand the high voltage electrical network for safe and reliable operation. network, as explained by the authority. . Examine and confirm these proposals. She is currently preparing an environmental report on the federal needs plan. This is then decided by the legislator based on the network development plan and lists the necessary line projects.
APA/ag