Further progress in grid expansion: Bundesnetzagentur approves section of SuedLink power line in Hanover region
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.02.26
The Bundesnetzagentur has today completed the planning approval procedure for another section of the SuedLink extra-high voltage power line. The whole of the approved section is in Hanover rural district. Today’s decision means TSO TenneT GmbH, the transmission system operator responsible, now has approval for the construction and operation of the section, which is the seventh section of the SuedLink power line to be approved.
Route from boundary between Heidekreis and Hanover rural districts and boundary between Hanover and Hildesheim rural districts
The route begins west of Stöckendrebber north of Neustadt am Rübenberge. The whole length of the section runs from north to south. It passes west of Mandelsloh and crosses the Leine river near Basse. It then runs west of Frielingen and Horst near Garbsen down to the A2 motorway. The route crosses under the motorway, a golf course and the Leine river again using trenchless technology to install underground ducts for the cables. It then crosses under the Mittelland Canal between Gümmer and Lohnde near Seelze, again using trenchless technology. The route runs east of Gehrden and along the foot of the Deister hills near Springe to the boundary between Hanover and Hildesheim rural districts.
The section is approximately 66 kilometres long and connects Section B1 (from Scheeßel to the boundary between Heidekreis and Hanover rural districts) with Section B3 (from the boundary between Hanover and Hildesheim rural districts to Einbeck) of Projects 3 and 4 in the Federal Requirements Plan Act. The Bundesnetzagentur is currently carrying out the planning approval processes for these two sections.
The Bundesnetzagentur will publish the planning approval decision (in German) on 15 March 2025 on its website at www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben3-b2 and www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben4-b2.
The Bundesnetzagentur regularly updates the forecast on progress in electricity grid expansion and publishes the updates (in German) at www.netzausbau.de/prognose.
Background to SuedLink
The project will link up Brunsbüttel grid connection point (Schleswig-Holstein) with Großgartach grid connection point (Baden-Württemberg). TenneT and TransnetBW, the transmission system operators responsible for the project, plan to lay most of the cables together with the cables for the power line between Wilster and Bergrheinfeld West (Project 4). The two underground cable projects make up Corridor C of the network development plan, one of three central transport corridors running from the north to the south of Germany. The two projects are being implemented in parallel by the operators responsible as the SuedLink project. The SuedLink power line will transport electricity produced by offshore and onshore wind farms from the north to the south of the country. As the lines are direct-current lines, they can only be put into operation as a whole; operation is due to start in 2028.