Following a decade of delays, Germany started construction on a crucial high-voltage transmission line to supply its southern regions with electricity – the infamous SuedLink. Their solution: a €10 billion power line to transport wind power into the heart of the continent, the biggest undertaking of the German energy transition. “SuedLink guarantees secure power supply in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg,” Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck explained at the construction kick-off, starting with a massive 4-metre radius, 20-metre deep tunnel beneath the river Elbe. When construction finishes – in early 2028, according to plans – the power line will be 700 kilometres long and carry up to 4 Gigawatts of power. And yet, SuedLink is far from providing enough transfer capacity to match peak wind power generation in Germany’s coastal regions in the north.
