Further progress in grid expansion: Bundesnetzagentur approves another section of the SuedOstLink power line
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.03.18
The Bundesnetzagentur has today completed the seventh planning approval procedure for the SuedOstLink power line. The section (A2) runs from Könnern in Saxony-Anhalt through Saxony to Eisenberg in northern Thuringia. The Bundesnetzagentur’s decision means that another 95 kilometres of the SuedOstLink power line have been approved. 50Hertz will lay the entire section of the new line underground. Approval has now been given for around 400 km of the SuedOstLink line, which will be approximately 540 km long.
Archaeological examinations of the area of the power line route were conducted prior to the actual construction work. There were numerous important findings.
Since January 2024 the Bundesnetzagentur had approved several applications for an early start to work on this section of the power line. This made it possible for 50Hertz as project promoter to begin with the initial construction work. For example, some ducts for cables have already been installed under roads and rivers using trenchless technology. The project promoter was also able to start felling trees and setting up the cable monitoring station in Zöschen.
Route between southern Saxony-Anhalt and northern Thuringia
The route begins in Saxony-Anhalt on the border between the Salzlandkreis district in the north and the Saalekreis district in the south, southeast of Könnern. It then runs southeast along the A14 motorway. Northeast of Halle (Saale) the route moves away from the motorway, swings further to the east and bypasses the urban area at a good distance. It bypasses Lake Raßnitz to the east and runs towards the A9 motorway at the border of Leipzig district. From there it continues to run parallel to the A9 motorway. East of Weißenfels the route passes between Zörbitz to the west and Granschütz to the east before crossing the B91 federal road northwest of Dippelsdorf. West of Nessa the route reconnects with the A9 motorway. Further south the route bypasses Krauschwitz to the west. Before crossing the Saxony-Anhalt border the route passes west of the municipality of Meineweh and east of Weickelsdorf. The section ends northeast of Eisenberg, east of the Königshofen part of Heideland in Thuringia.
The Bundesnetzagentur is due to publish its planning approval decision (in German) on 31 March 2025 at: www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben5-a2 and www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben5a-a2.
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 projects each have 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.
The Bundesnetzagentur regularly updates the forecast on progress in electricity grid expansion. It is available online at www.netzausbau.de/prognose.