Sweco project management powers grid expansion in Germany
Germany is on a path to transform its energy landscape to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. Central to this endeavour is the expansion of offshore wind power in the country, aiming to increase capacity from the current level of 8.1 GW to upwards of 70 GW in the coming decades. With renewables expertise across Europe, this is just one of the game-changing green transition projects Sweco is proud to be involved in.
The green energy push in Germany will involve constructing robust wind energy installations and creating extensive power transmission networks to harness the strong winds in the north and distribute it to other parts of the country.
The Rhein-Main-Link and NordOstLink are two significant undertakings in this effort. Read more about these state-of-the-art projects and how Sweco contributes to Germany’s energy transition.
The Rhein-Main-Link’s renewable rout
The Rhein-Main-Link is a connection that will transport electricity from offshore wind farms in the North Sea over a 500-kilometer corridor to Hessen in the Rhein-Main region.
With a strong local industry and close to six million inhabitants, the region is a major energy consumer with high network requirements. The connection aims to satisfy the region’s growing energy needs from 2033 onward.
German transmission system operator (TSO) Amprion has contracted Sweco to provide project management during the entire planning phase. More specifically, Sweco is aiding Amprion in the collaborative management of the technical and environmental planning aspects, ensuring the project adheres to strict standards for timely delivery, quality and transparency.
We are very pleased to contribute to this lighthouse project of the energy transition and to support the Rhein-Main-Link project team in its partnership and transparent project management. The collaborative approach chosen by Amprion promotes and demands efficient project execution, agile solution finding, and continuous target alignment. This collaboration on equal footing is welcome to spread further in the German project landscape because the project culture and the project result are decisively influenced for the better in these demanding large-scale and long-term projects.
Christiane Doyle, Head of Project Management & Licensing at Sweco Germany
This project commenced last year and features a 240-kilometer route of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) underground cables, which will channel the offshore wind energy into mainland Germany. Originating north of Hamburg, the link stretches from Heide to an area close to Schwerin and is designed to include up to six systems. Each system will be capable of transmitting a robust 525 kV.
TSOs TenneT and 50Hertz have selected Sweco for the technical design of the NordOstLink. At peak, about 120 Sweco employees will be involved full time, working on everything from project management, project controls and licensing, to water, soil and intersection management, among other disciplines.
“This major HVDC project is vitally important to reaching the goal of being carbon-neutral and guaranteeing a secure energy supply at the same time. Sweco is very proud to offer our clients a high proportion of disciplines needed for the NordOstLink in-house. This single-source approach will limit interface management and guarantee to meet the tight deadlines of the energy transition. We are really looking forward to delivering this project together with TenneT and 50Hertz over the next years,” Christiane Doyle said.