TenneT and 50Hertz are using the new accelerated approval procedure for NordOstLink, their joint underground cable project. The project’s transmission line is to be built as an underground cable, and is expected to pave the way for a meshed DC grid, enabling efficient and flexible conveyance of energy over long distances.

Jun 6, 2023

Transmission system operators TenneT and 50Hertz are utilizing Germany’s new fast-track approval procedure for planned power connections for their joint underground cable project NordOstLink. This will mark a major step forward in the energy transition. NordOstLink’s transmission line is to be built as an underground cable, in accordance with the legal requirements. 50Hertz and TenneT are also planning an innovative power hub in Heide, NordOstLink’s starting point in Schleswig-Holstein, making it possible for the first time to link DC connections such as NordOstLink directly to other DC lines. This technical innovation will pave the way for a meshed DC grid, enabling electricity to be conveyed efficiently and flexibly over long distances to centres of consumption.

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“The direct-current underground cable connection NordOstLink is pivotal for integrating the vast offshore wind power potential of the North Sea into the German transmission grid. Together with our partner TenneT, we have therefore decided to exploit the acceleration potential offered by the new legislation, thus turning NordOstLink into an important pilot project. The energy transition needs to move faster, so it’s now time to tackle it together and find pragmatic solutions,” says 50Hertz CEO Stefan Kapferer. “The federal government’s initiative is an important step on the way to a climate-neutral grid by 2045. Rapid grid expansion is absolutely vital in order to achieve the German government’s climate targets. The aim is therefore for NordOstLink to be carrying green electricity from the North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as early as 2032 and supplying power to as many as 5 million households,” says TenneT’s COO Tim Meyerjürgens.