News

In order for Germany to become climate-neutral by 2045, the country’s electricity grid must be expanded. 
High-capacity direct current lines such as SuedLink will play a key role in ensuring a secure supply of green electricity in the future.

In the SuedLink project, another important milestone has been reached: The application documents for the consultation procedure have been submitted in full and on time, which means that the permit application procedure for design section 2 of SuedLink has been completed and is now pending the final decision from the approval authority. The timely submission of the application documents is important not only because of the challenging topography and technically complex closed crossings along the cable route, but also to ensure that construction can begin on schedule.

The next step will be the start of construction design/detailed design and objection management, which will involve responding to objections from public and private stakeholders. This will be followed by a hearing and, ideally, the planning approval decision in spring 2025, after which construction can begin. SuedLink essentially consists of two direct current (DC) transmission lines (two systems with a voltage level of 525 kV, each with two-pole plastic-insulated cables) running from north to south, which have been planned and are to be built and operated in parallel. 

The two lines will be laid side by side for most of the route to minimize the impact of construction on people and the environment. We are proud of our experts who have been contributing to the SuedLink project since 2019. Most recently, this has involved preparing the full permit application design and application documents. 

We would like to congratulate everyone involved in the project on this milestone and we look forward to the next steps.