380-kV Berlin South Vertical Power Link

The energy transition is changing power flows and leads to more stringent requirements for the transmission grids that transport the electricity from generation to consumption centres. This also applies to the capital, especially considering the energy demand that is predicted to keep rising until 2045. By expanding and upgrading the transmission grid in Berlin’s metropolitan area, 50Hertz is fulfilling its social mandate to also secure the energy supply in the future.

Under Project 87, the Federal Requirements Plan Act (Bundesbedarfsplangesetz, BBPlG) establishes several measures in the capital region. One of the five key measures is the 380-kV Berlin South Vertical Power Link. It is a new tunnel construction project that will run between Brandenburg, close to the state border with Berlin in Großbeeren near Lichterfelde, and the Mitte substation in the Mitte district.

The 380-kV Berlin South Vertical Power Link was officially confirmed in the Federal Requirements Plan Act in 2022.

Line route

The 380-kV Berlin South Vertical Power Link is planned as a tunnel with a length of approximately 14 kilometres along as direct a path as possible. To determine the best possible line route, 50Hertz is considering all important legal, nature conservation and technical criteria during planning. Because of the high population density, the limited available space and the need to maintain the existing infrastructure, the cable tunnel design is preferred in the city centre.

• The start shaft will be located in Brandenburg, near the state border with Berlin in Großbeeren. Inside this start shaft, the overhead line of the Grid reinforcement Teltow-Fläming project will be connected to the Berlin South Vertical Power Link.
• From there on out, the route continues inside a tunnel, heading north to a new substation to be planned at the Lichterfelde cogeneration plant and a first intermediate shaft. The new substation will provide a necessary connection that enables the distribution of electricity from the 50Hertz transmission grid to Berlin’s consumers via the distribution grid of Stromnetz Berlin.

From the Lichterfelde cogeneration plant, the route is expected to run to the end shaft at the Mitte substation via two intermediate shafts.

Project status

50Hertz is currently drawing up the application documents for the planning approval procedure.

Public participation

In July of 2025, we spoke with interested citizens and residents living near the possible shaft sites and outlined the project directly on site during four information events.