Following approval of the early start of construction by the Bundesnetzagentur, the SuedOstLink can begin construction even before the planning approval decision. Following extensive planning and approval procedures, transmission system operator TenneT was able to start construction of the 780 km SuedOstLink direct current line at the Isar converter site near Landshut on 11 December 2023.
A festive event with over 100 invited guests from politics and business heralded the start of construction. TenneT Managing Director Tim Meyerjürgens, Bavaria's Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, the Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy Hubert Aiwanger and the Federal Government's Coordinator for the Maritime Economy and Tourism Dieter Janecek joined the first two underground cable segments of the SuedOstLink and then signed them.
Important step towards security of supply for households, industry and commerce
"SuedOstLink is an important milestone on the way to a secure, independent and cost-efficient electricity supply in Bavaria", says TenneT Managing Director Tim Meyerjürgens on the occasion of the start of construction at the ISAR converter site. "So that we can go into operation from 2027, we are continuing to work at full speed during construction - but always with a focus on the safety of everyone involved."
With regard to the security of supply in Bavaria, Meyerjürgens adds: "SuedOstLink will supply millions of Bavarian households as well as industry and commerce with green electricity from northern and eastern Germany in the future. However, this will not be enough to achieve climate neutrality in Bavaria by 2040. In addition, we urgently need power plant capacities in the south as well as further expansion at transmission and distribution grid level."
Energy policy situation: Efficient green infrastructure more important than ever
Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Hubert Aiwanger: "The war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the energy policy situation in Germany and Europe. Natural gas is no longer the reliable bridging technology. Decarbonisation without deindustrialisation and without nuclear power therefore requires an efficient infrastructure for the transport of renewable energies.
"Green hydrogen has a key role to play here", continued Aiwanger. "We also need sufficient electricity for this in the south as continuously as possible. PV expansion is also increasing rapidly in Bavaria. Bavaria can use the new line to provide this green electricity for other regions in Germany and also obtain additional power."
"The energy transition also urgently requires more gas-fired power plants in southern Germany, which could be operated with hydrogen in the long term", Aiwanger continued. "This requires a rapid connection of Bavaria to the national and European hydrogen network."
Panel discussion: Accelerated expansion of the electricity grid in parallel with the H2 infrastructure
Following the ceremonial start of construction, representatives from politics, authorities and industry discussed at a panel discussion how a reliable and affordable electricity supply for Bavaria as an industrial location can be ensured beyond the SuedOstLink.
Tim Meyerjürgens was joined on the panel by Matthias Otte, Head of Netzausbau der BNetzA, Christine Völzow, Managing Director and Head of the Economic Policy Department of Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e.V., Detlef Fischer, Managing Director of Verband der Bayerischen Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft e.V., Tim Holt, Member of the Management Board of Siemens Energy, and Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz.
They all agreed that the expansion of the grid must be accelerated and accompanied by a parallel expansion of the hydrogen grid.
Construction of the line route: planning approval decisions expected in 2024
SuedOstLink will transport a total of 4 GW of electricity from the north of Germany over a length of more than 750 km to the south to the Isar grid node near Landshut. The converter at the ISAR site, which will be handed over to TenneT by Siemens Energy on a turnkey basis, converts the transported direct current into alternating current. From there, the electricity will be distributed to households and industry.
The innovative 525-kV underground cables will be manufactured by global market leader Prysmian. The planning approval decisions for the Bavarian planning sections are expected as early as 2024, meaning that regular construction will then begin along the entire route of the line.