0 of 0 for ""

Show all results

From seas to cities: Sweco aids expansion of German grid

Published on: April 4, 2024

Germany is on a path to transform its energy landscape to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. Central to this endeavour is the expansion of offshore wind power in the country, aiming to increase capacity from the current level of 8.1 GW to upwards of 70 GW in the coming decades.

This will involve constructing robust wind energy installations and creating extensive power transmission networks to harness the strong winds in the north and distribute it to other parts of the country.

The Rhein-Main-Link and NordOstLink are two significant undertakings in this effort. Read more about these state-of-the-art projects and how Sweco contributes to Germany’s energy transition.

The Rhein-Main-Link’s renewable rout

The Rhein-Main-Link is a connection that will transport electricity from offshore wind farms in the North Sea over a 500-kilometer corridor to Hessen in the Rhein-Main region.

With a strong local industry and close to six million inhabitants, the region is a major energy consumer with high network requirements. The connection aims to satisfy the region’s growing energy needs from 2033 onward.

German transmission system operator (TSO) Amprion has contracted Sweco to provide project management during the entire planning phase. More specifically, Sweco is aiding Amprion in the collaborative management of the technical and environmental planning aspects, ensuring the project adheres to strict standards for timely delivery, quality and transparency.

“We are very pleased to contribute to this lighthouse project of the energy transition and to support the Rhein-Main-Link project team in its partnership and transparent project management. The collaborative approach chosen by Amprion promotes and demands efficient project execution, agile solution finding, and continuous target alignment. This collaboration on equal footing is welcome to spread further in the German project landscape because the project culture and the project result are decisively influenced for the better in these demanding large-scale and long-term projects,” says Christiane Doyle, Head of Project Management & Licensing at Sweco Germany.

Driving the NordOstLink forward

Another key project for Germany’s energy ambitions is the NordOstLink, a significant undertaking that will further integrate renewable energy into the national grid.

This project commenced last year and features a 240-kilometer route of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) underground cables, which will channel the offshore wind energy into mainland Germany. Originating north of Hamburg, the link stretches from Heide to an area close to Schwerin and is designed to include up to six systems. Each system will be capable of transmitting a robust 525 kV.

TSOs TenneT and 50Hertz have selected Sweco for the technical design of the NordOstLink. At peak about 120 Sweco employees will be involved full time, working on everything from project management, project controls and licensing, to water, soil and intersection management, among other disciplines.

“This major HVDC project is vitally important to reaching the goal of being carbon-neutral and guaranteeing a secure energy supply at the same time. Sweco is very proud to offer our clients a high proportion of disciplines needed for the NordOstLink in-house. This single-source approach will limit interface management and guarantee to meet the tight deadlines of the energy transition. We are really looking forward to delivering this project together with TenneT and 50Hertz over the next years,” Christiane Doyle said.

Let us connect

Please fill out this form and we will ensure that you get in contact with the right Sweco expert.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.