- New power line as an important building block of the energy transformation in Europe
- International transport of wind power-generated green electricity now possible
- EQOS Energie is awarded project during EU-wide tender procedure
In the summer, EQOS Energie Deutschland GmbH will start an important project for the concrete implementation of the European energy transformation: The construction of the fifth section of the West Coast line, a 380-kV overhead line over a total of 140 kilometres between Germany and Denmark, will facilitate the transport of green wind energy. The project, which was designated as a “project of common interest” (PCI) by the European Commission, will make a significant contribution to realising the EU’s objectives in energy and climate policy. The client is transmission network operator TenneT. As the largest German transmission network operator, TenneT ensures a safe and dependable power supply in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Bavaria – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Due to the professional collaboration between our engineering and operative teams within our Overhead Line Construction business unit, we were able to present a first-rate concept and prevailed against renowned competitors in the EU-wide tender procedure,” Thomas Reichel, managing director in charge of overhead line construction at EQOS Energie, said about the award.
Green electricity for dense urban areas
Specifically, this project worth in the double-digit millions is about the construction of a roughly 15-kilometre line section between the town of Klixbüll in Schleswig-Holstein and the Danish border. The connection facilitates the international high-capacity transport of wind power-generated electricity. This way, the wind power-based electricity increasingly generated in Northern Germany can be transported to consumption centres in Germany and abroad – one prerequisite for the successful switch from fossil to renewable sources of energy. Additional benefits of the new interconnector: increased network stability and supply certainty in the European integrated grid as well as an optimised price-benefit ratio for customers, based on the international electricity exchange.
Completion as early as 2023
“Due to the tight sequence of deadlines, among other factors, this project is a challenge for the entire profit center,” Mario Kraatz, head of the profit center North/East in the Overhead Line Construction business unit at EQOS Energie, explained. “Our goal is to complete most of the foundation work by the end of the year. Some of the masts will be pre-assembled and erected in parallel so that the cable installation can begin as planned. We place special focus on environmental protection and we will comply with all requirements, of course.”
The brief runtime of a mere 13 months for this project represents a great challenge: Completion of the line is earmarked for 2023. A total of 37 new construction sites will need to be built and the circuits generated. Specialists in the areas of foundations, fitting and overhead line construction will be permanently deployed. At peak times, about 100 experts will work simultaneously on this project.