Germany's Federal Network Agency, BNetzA, has pinpointed seven routes for upcoming grid connections aimed at facilitating the transmission of wind power across the country, as outlined in an environmental report detailing future grid requirements.
According to the agency's report, transmission system operators (TSOs) will be tasked with planning the new power lines within designated five to ten-kilometer-wide strips of land.
This preference area determination, as highlighted by the agency, replaces the lengthy federal specialist planning procedures and is synchronized with the needs assessment process. The result is the availability of finalized preference areas concurrently with the determination of network connection points in the Federal Requirements Plan, expediting the subsequent plan approval phase.
For the first time, the Federal Network Agency has identified preference areas for several significant underground cable projects, including NordOstLink, Rhein-Main-Link, NordWestLink, and SuedWestLink, essential for transporting wind power. These areas have been utilized as the foundation for the strategic environmental assessment of the Federal Requirements Plan, serving as investigation zones.
Preference areas, spanning approximately five to ten kilometers wide between project start and end points, provide the framework for determining the exact route of the power lines during subsequent planning stages.
However, the determination of preference areas for the OstWestLink underground cable connection faced challenges due to unforeseen plan alterations, delaying the process. The agency aims to establish a legal framework promptly to address this issue and potentially identify affected preference areas in the near future.
