en.Wedoany.com Reported - TenneT Germany has completed the first fully finished underground cable section of the SuedLink project in Germany, covering approximately 37 kilometers between the districts of Scheeßel and Stade in Lower Saxony. SuedLink is a key infrastructure project for Germany's energy transition, with a total length of about 700 kilometers and a transmission capacity of approximately 4,000 megawatts (4 gigawatts), planned to be operational by the end of 2028. Civil engineering work on this section began in spring 2024 within the municipality of Zeven, with particular attention to soil protection and responsible handling of agricultural land. The land used will be returned to its owners in stages.

Politicians, local government representatives, and agricultural delegates attended the completion ceremony in the district of Rotenburg (Wümme), including Lower Saxony's Energy Minister Christian Meyer and District Administrator Marco Prietz. TenneT Germany's Chief Operating Officer Ina Kamps stated that with the completion of the first underground cable section, SuedLink is becoming a tangible reality. The project will transport renewable energy to where it is needed, thereby strengthening supply security, grid stability, and competitiveness. Energy Minister Christian Meyer noted the line's significance in reducing electricity prices and integrating renewable energy, calling it a core component of a climate-neutral energy system that helps reduce fossil fuel backup power plants and redispatch measures. District Administrator Marco Prietz emphasized the project's implementation at the regional level, noting that construction has taken agricultural land into account while bringing economic benefits to the region.

Planning for Germany's major north-south direct current transmission lines dates back to the 2012 Grid Development Plan (NEP). Following the decision to phase out nuclear power in 2011, these lines were developed as central transmission corridors for renewable electricity from northern and eastern Germany to consumption centers in the south and west. A 2015 law established a preference for underground cables for new direct current lines, leading to numerous projects being converted from overhead lines to underground cables and re-planned. Current major transmission line projects include: the Ultranet line (approximately 2 GW, utilizing existing routes, planned for commissioning in 2026), A-Nord (approximately 2 GW, planned for commissioning in 2027), SuedLink (approximately 4 GW, about 700 km, planned for commissioning by the end of 2028), and SuedOstLink (approximately 2 GW, planned for commissioning in 2028).