The transmission grid operator TransnetBW is on track for growth: In order to financially support the expansion of the entire portfolio, EnBW is not only investing its own funds but examining further measures outside of the Group. The company is opening up official opportunities on the market for two separate minority shareholdings and investing €12 billion of its own money in the electricity and gas grids, renewable energies and fuel switch projects. EnBW will remain the majority shareholder in the long term.
Partnerships make more sense and are more necessary than ever before in a networked energy industry. Over the last few years, we have already given partners the opportunity to invest in several strategic and capital-intensive projects and business fields – most recently by enabling more than 200 cities and local authorities to invest in the Netze BW distribution grid in Baden-Württemberg. Other examples of successful partnerships include the EnBW Hohe See/Albatros and EnBW Baltic 2 offshore wind farms.
The transmission grid operators have reached a milestone in the ULTRANET grid expansion project: The Federal Network Agency has now approved the planning documents for the section as submitted. The 340 km long direct current transmission line will in future be able to transmit large volumes of electricity between northern and southern Germany without losses.
TransnetBW believes that it is especially important to remain in close contact with the local population and authorities to integrate as many interest groups as possible into the process. To this end, the authorities have made the documents submitted by the transmission grid operators available to the public and provided relevant information. As soon as all viewpoints have been discussed, there will be nothing standing in the way of TransnetBW constructing and operating the line.
Progress has also been made in the SuedLink project. The 700 km long direct current transmission line will connect the windy regions in northern Germany with the south. After submitting the documents for the second partial approval, applications for the construction and operation of one of the four SuedLink converter stations can also be submitted. It will make an important contribution to the energy transition and is an important step towards the decarbonization of Germany.
ULTRANET is a key grid expansion project for Germany and improves the integration of renewable energies into the electricity system. This will guarantee the security of supply as a result.
Adding more fiber-optic network with Deutsche Bahn
Plusnet and NetCom BW are subsidiaries of EnBW in the area of telecommunications and they are growing too. They are expanding their activities in the field of fiber-optics and will be utilizing the fiber-optic capacities of Deutsche Bahn AG in future for the backbone network. This cooperation will accelerate the expansion of modern telecommunication services across Germany.
There have been exciting developments in the expansion of the high-voltage grid: Netze BW is optimizing its grid and further developing and expanding its high-voltage grid. One important task to further improve technical safety is, for example, refurbishing the masts, which involves replacing steel wires and renovating the foundations. This must be done for around 4,000 masts. An expansion plan is prepared every year that takes into account the latest technology and political developments. Another important factor is the increasing uptake of renewable energies and it is vital that the distribution grid is able to handle their forecasted output. The optimized grids will contribute to the security of supply and system stability.
The demand for natural gas is constantly increasing and with it the need for adequate transmission capacities. The existing infrastructure must be adjusted to meet these needs. terranets bw is responding by expanding the gas transmission grid and has constructed the Neckarenz Valley pipeline to connect the Enzkreis region to the existing infrastructure. This new pipeline will improve the security of supply to the Ludwigsburg/Enzkreis region, especially at peak times.