EnBW Board Member Dirk Güsewell, Managing Director of Terranets BW Katrin Flinspach and Baden-Württemberg Energy Minister Thekla Walker jointly broke ground for the South German Gas Pipeline (SEL). The 250-kilometre-long pipeline is to become part of the planned hydrogen core network from the early 2030s.
The SEL ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Baden-Württemberg's Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy Thekla Walker as well as EnBW CEO Dirk Güsewell and Terranets BW CEO Katrin Flinspach. More than 150 representatives from local authorities and energy suppliers from the region, politics, the energy and gas industry and associations were also present, the gas network operator said last Friday (1 March).
Construction of the 250 km long SEL began yesterday (4 March 2024) west of Heilbronn and near Leingarten-Großgartach. According to Terranets BW, it is intended to enable the phase-out of coal-fired power generation as part of the expansion of renewable energies. As part of the German hydrogen core network, it will then transport hydrogen to Baden-Württemberg from the beginning of the 2030s.
According to Walker, gas is "essential" for the success of the energy transition. The competitiveness of the economy in Baden-Württemberg could also benefit from the favourable import price: "It is now important to create the necessary infrastructure and drive forward the expansion of the grids. The Germany-wide core network is a first, fundamental step in this direction."
New pipeline already under construction
The first 24-kilometre section runs from Heilbronn to the Ludwigsburg district. Construction work began on 4 March to the west of Heilbronn in the Kirchhausen district and near Leingarten-Großgartach. Following the route to the south, the pipeline construction will be realised via Leingarten to the south of Löchgau. The pipeline section should be completed by the end of 2024. The recultivation of the areas used is planned from "mid-2024 to the end of 2025".
The first step is to prepare the working strip, which is usually 34 metres wide. This includes removing the topsoil. The pipes are then welded along the route. According to the network operator, the pipe strings are only lifted into the 2.5 metre deep trench once the welding work has been successfully inspected by independent experts. The pipe trench will then be backfilled and topsoil applied. Depending on the conditions on site, between 200 and 400 metres of pipe could be laid in one day.
It is expected to take around three months to complete all the work steps in one place. The project partners intend to restore the areas that have been used at a later date. Compensatory measures such as reforestation are planned for any remaining, unavoidable interventions. Further information on the construction of transport pipelines for natural gas and hydrogen can be found in the Terranets BW construction and operation factsheet. As part of its hydrogen activities, the gas network operator is a member of Flow - making hydrogen happen. It is also working with the French company GRTgaz on the cross-border hydrogen project RHYn.Interco.
