Further progress in grid expansion: Bundesnetzagentur approves another section of SuedLink power line in Lower Saxony
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.07.31
The Bundesnetzagentur has today completed the planning approval procedure for another section of the SuedLink power line. The section runs through the rural districts of Hildesheim and Northeim in Lower Saxony and is around 55 kilometres long. Projects 3 and 4 in the Federal Requirements Plan Act (BBPIG) run parallel to each other as is the case for most of the SuedLink. The two lines will be laid as underground cables. This decision means that 13 of a total of 15 sections of the SuedLink have now been approved.
Route between the regional boundary of Hanover and Einbeck
The cable route begins at the boundary between Hanover and the Hildesheim rural district at Elze. It first passes between the Thüster/Duinger mountain ranges and the Külf ridge towards the town of Alfeld on the Leine river. From there it continues towards Freden, also on the Leine, passes the lower reservoir of the Erzhausen pumped storage power station in the Leine floodplain and then follows the Leine towards Einbeck. TransnetBW is planning to use a trenchless installation method for an undercrossing of around 2 kilometres beneath the Leine in the Einbeck-Volksen area. When compared with horizontal directional drilling, this reduces the construction area and thus any intrusion into the Leine floodplain.
A cable section station will be erected to the north of Einbeck-Salzderhelden for preventive maintenance and monitoring of the extra-high voltage line. Shortly afterwards the route turns southwards until it reaches the section boundary near Strodthagen in Einbeck.
The Bundesnetzagentur is due to publish its planning approval decision (in German) on 1 September 2025 at: www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben3-b3 and www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben4-b3.
SuedLink power line as the backbone of the energy transition
The SuedLink power line consists of two direct-current lines. Project 3 connects Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein with Großgartach/Leingarten in Baden-Württemberg. Project 4 runs from Wilster to Bergrheinfeld in Bavaria. The two lines will be laid as underground cables and run mostly parallel to each other. TenneT and TransnetBW are the transmission system operators responsible for planning, constructing and operating the lines.
The Bundesnetzagentur regularly updates the forecast on progress in electricity grid expansion and publishes the updates at www.netzausbau.de/prognose.