- Replacement construction of a 380-kV line in the crucial north-south corridor
- New commission from network operator TenneT for EQOS Energie
- Facilitating an increase of renewable energies in the energy mix
The Engineering profit center of EQOS Energie makes a key contribution to strengthening the transmission network in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia: Specifically, this involves the replacement construction of a 380-kV power line between Dollern and Ovenstädt, the so-called “Elbe-Lippe Line North”. The new line construction will follow the course of the existing line route, parts of which have already been planned by EQOS Energie. EQOS Energie is directly responsible for the approximately 45-kilometre second section of the line between Sottrum and Mehringen. The client is network operator TenneT, and the total project volume is in the double-digit millions.
“The Elbe-Lippe Line North is one of the most important transport routes for electricity on the German north-south axis,” said Thomas Reichel, managing director in charge at EQOS Energie. “As part of the energy transformation, the amount of green energy fed into the grid will increase significantly. The modernisation of the network infrastructure is a prerequisite for this green energy to be reliably delivered from the wind farms in the north to the consumer centres in the south and west of the country. It is no coincidence that the Elbe-Lippe line is also included in the Federal Requirements Plan,” Reichel added.
Coordination of the route as a central challenge
Since the Federal Requirements Plan specifies the start and end points of the necessary lines but not the exact route, the route-finding process in cooperation with TenneT is of crucial importance. Here, the impacts of grid expansion on neighbouring residents and the environment are also given special consideration. The EQOS Energie team develops potential line corridors and defines variants within these corridors that are suitable for implementation in accordance with technical, economic, spatial planning, property and immission law requirements. At the end of this complex process is the preparation of the planning approval documents coordinated with TenneT, which the transmission network operator will then submit for approval. Construction is expected to start no sooner than 2028.
Initially, the basis for commissioning EQOS Energie was the presentation of a dependable concept for keeping deadlines. Successful ongoing or recently completed reference projects additionally convinced the client to continue the collaboration. Ralf Emmenlauer, head of the Engineering profit center in the Overhead Line Construction business unit of EQOS Energie: “At peak times, the project team will consist of up to 12 colleagues. The focus will be on all areas of line planning and property management.”
Greater capacity, greater safety
Once completed, the new line will allow for higher transmission capacity. More renewable energy can be transported in order to actually achieve the goals set for the energy transformation. In addition, the new replacement construction will implement the new provisions of the European System Operation Guideline, according to which system-relevant 380-kV lines may no longer be routed on joint support structures in the future. This ensures a greater safety level within the network.