Further progress in grid expansion: Bundesnetzagentur approves section in the Münster region
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.02.25
The Bundesnetzagentur has today completed the planning approval procedure for another section (NRW1) of the A-Nord power line. The Bundesnetzagentur approved the route of the extra-high voltage line from south of the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia to the boundary between the towns of Bocholt (Borken district) and Hamminkeln (Wesel district). Amprion will lay the entire section of the line underground. Approval was also given for a transition station in Ochtrup-Wester. This secondary equipment will be used to operate and effectively monitor the section of the direct-current line. The Bundesnetzagentur had already approved an application for an early start to construction work in January. This enabled Amprion to start clearing woody vegetation in the area. Today’s decision confirms the route of the A-Nord power line for the fifth of a total of six sections.
Section from Lower Saxony/North Rhine-Westphalia border to Bocholt
The NRW1 section of the line is approximately 70 kilometres long and begins near Bad Bentheim (Grafschaft Bentheim rural district) and Ochtrup (Steinfurt district). The approved route runs south to the west of the A31 motorway down to a point level with Gronau-Epe. The route turns southwest away from the motorway at a point northwest of Heek. It runs west of Ahaus-Wessum, east of Ahaus-Ottenstein, east of Vreden and then crosses the river Berkel. East of Stadtlohn-Vreden airfield and near the border with the Netherlands, the route carries on west from Südlohn to the outskirts of Borken. It then passes to the east of Borken-Burlo and to the southeast of Rhede before crossing the Bocholter Aa river. The route then continues west, running south of Bocholt. The section ends north of Hamminkeln-Dingden at the boundary between Borken and Wesel districts.
The Bundesnetzagentur is due to publish its planning approval decision (in German) on 10 March 2025 at: www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben1-nrw1.
Background: A-Nord corridor
The project makes up the northern part of the planned Corridor A, a new high-voltage direct-current transmission line running from north to south. The A-Nord power line is due to go into operation in 2027. Corridor A will transport electricity generated by offshore wind farms in the North Sea and onshore wind farms in northern Germany to the west of the country. The line will run underground between Emden Ost grid connection point in Lower Saxony and Osterath grid connection point in North Rhine-Westphalia. The A-Nord line will connect to Project 2 (Hamminkeln), the southern part of Corridor A, in Osterath.