Overview
- The Bundesnetzagentur has approved the roughly 75-kilometre corridor from Gerstungen in Thuringia to Mellrichstadt in Bavaria, enabling work on this Suedlink tranche.
- TransnetBW says preparatory activity is underway and the official start is scheduled for Monday, with sites and drill pads being set up in several municipalities.
- Cables will be installed underground in ducts with horizontal drilling used for road and water crossings, with trenching and drilling planned through 2027 before cables are pulled.
- Adjacent segments in Bavaria and Hesse are already under construction, and TenneT reports progress including about 2,000 metres of tunnel built for the Elbe crossing.
- The joint TransnetBW/TenneT project is designed for around 4 gigawatts to move northern wind power south, targets completion by late 2028, and TransnetBW estimates its share of costs at about €8.5 billion.