Power network expansion: Expiratory lines could save 20 billion euros!

Power network expansion: Expiratory lines could save 20 billion euros!

Kingdly in search of a way out of the energy crisis, the German transmission system operators face a central question: Should overhead lines be used instead of expensive earth cables for the expansion of the power grid in the future? This could bring about significant cost savings, as nn.de . The priority for earth cables has been in effect for large electricity motorways since 2016. But the associated high costs and the increasing demand for quick solutions offer space for considerations for a change of course.

Tim Meyerjürgens, the CEO of Tennet, sees great potential in the changeover to overhead lines. He estimates that at least 20 billion euros could be saved by the construction of cable routes such as Ostwestlink, Nordwestlink and Suedwestlink. These savings would not only extend to the construction expenses, but also in the medium term to the network charges that consumers pay. A reduction of one cent per kilowatt hour would mean around 30 euros per year for an average two-person household with a consumption of 3,000 kWh.

acceptance among the population

The ground cable priority was originally introduced to increase acceptance for network expansion and to deal with concerns about large overhead lines, the so -called "monster roads". Nevertheless, the hoped -for positive feedback from the population has so far been missing. The transmission system operator Tennet and his colleagues from TransnetBW and 50Hertz are now calling for this regulation to be rethought. A spokeswoman for the Federal Network Agency has confirmed that the cost advantages of overhead lines are remarkable and the current developments could lead to delays if existing approval processes for earth cable projects have to be changed.

A look at future challenges is also evident in the investment plans. The Federal Network Agency estimates that around 320 billion euros are required for network expansion by 2045, especially if earth cables remain the preferred variant. However, if more overhead lines were used, the total costs could be reduced to around 284.7 billion euros.

technical considerations

But there are also challenges. Citizens' initiatives position themselves against new electricity, and the change to overhead lines could lead to already being thrown back in time. These concerns strengthen the arguments for the continued use of earth cables, as with the planned Südlink-Trasse, which is realized as an earth cable due to resistance in the population. The need to communicate with the population and gain in importance since the Ukraine conflict has influenced the discourses around energy security, such as Energie-klimaschutz.de emphasized.

The situation remains tense, and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has already emphasized that the regulations should not be changed so quickly. The dialogue with citizens and municipalities will be decisive in order to find a consensus on the future power grid infrastructure and to achieve the ambitious goal of the energy transition, which now plays a central role now that kilometers are necessary.