Progress in grid expansion: Bundesnetzagentur decides on route for sixth section of SuedOstLink power line
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.02.13
The Bundesnetzagentur has today completed the sixth of nine planning approval procedures for the SuedOstLink power line. The section of the line that has been approved (section C2) runs between Marktredwitz and Pfreimd. The Bundesnetzagentur’s decision means that another 90 kilometres of the SuedOstLink power line have now been approved. TenneT will lay the entire section of the new line underground. The decision means that a cable section station northeast of Weihern and a fibre-optic cable intermediate station in Leonberg can now also be constructed.
In spring 2024 the Bundesnetzagentur had approved the first of several applications for an early start to work on this section of the power line. TenneT, the transmission system operator responsible, had therefore been able to begin construction work on the cable section and fibre-optic cable intermediate stations. Some ducts for cables have already been installed under roads and rivers using trenchless technology, and some woodland areas have also been cleared.
Section C2: route between Marktredwitz and Pfreimd
The section of the power line that has been approved is approximately 90 kilometres long. It runs through Bavaria between Marktredwitz und Pfreimd. The route begins near Marktredwitz and runs southeast down to a point level with Konnersreuth, from where it runs mainly south and to the east of Mitterteich and Tirschenreuth. The route then runs southwest down to a point level with Windischeschenbach. From there, the route turns south, running to the west of Püchersreuth and to the east of Neustadt an der Waldnaab and Weiden in der Oberpfalz. East of Wernberg-Köblitz the route turns west and bypasses Pfreimd to the northwest.
The Bundesnetzagentur is due to publish its planning approval decisions (in German) on 3 March 2025 at: www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben5-c2 and www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben5a-c2.
SuedOstLink power line as a major axis for the energy transition
The SuedOstLink power line consists of the line listed as grid expansion project 5 and part of the line listed as project 5a. The project 5 line is 540 kilometres long and the part of the project 5a line 520 kilometres long. Each line has a transmission capacity of 2 gigawatts and a voltage of 525 kilovolts. Project 5 runs between the Wolmirstedt and Isar transformer stations and project 5a between Ludwigslust-Parchim rural district and the Isar transformer station. The two lines meet in Börde and then run parallel to each other.
The SuedOstLink power line is a new high-voltage direct-current transmission line that will transport electricity from the northeast of Germany to Bavaria. Project 5 is due to go into operation in 2027 and project 5a in 2030. The two transmission system operators TenneT and 50Hertz are responsible for planning, constructing and operating the SuedOstLink power line.