Today, 50Hertz put the 380-kV overhead line between Stendal West and Wolmirstedt into operation which increases the transmission capacity for the integration of wind power. This line is the first part of the newly constructed replacement for a 220-kV overhead line between Güstrow in the Rostock area and Wolmirstedt, near Magdeburg, which was built in the 1950s.
The 37-kilometre long segment is the first of six permit sections in the federal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. The administrative authorities in Halle/Saale granted the permit for the project, which will cost about 40 million EUR, in March 2018.
50Hertz CTO Dr Frank Golletz on the completion of this first building section: “The increase of the transmission capacity is necessary to manage the high supply of wind power in the northern regions of our grid area in a better manner and enable its secure integration into our grid. With the commissioning of this first building section, we have come a bit closer to reaching this goal.’
Head of project Mike Wildgrube came to a positive conclusion after almost a year of construction activity: ‘The fast completion of this construction project and the timely commissioning show that 50Hertz meets its targets and deadlines and takes them very seriously.’ Three construction firms were involved in the realisation and erection of 87 new towers, and a helicopter was used to pull the conductors onto them. To finalise the construction works, roads and streets that were used before are now being restored.
Temporary line ensures connection to Güstrow
The newly constructed replacement runs from the Stendal West substation and parallel to the existing 380-kV overhead line Lubmin-Wolmirstedt. This continuous bundling follows the planning principle that the new line is orientated towards already existing infrastructure. East of Groß Schwarzlosen, the line changes course to the route of the old 220-kV line, the southern part of which was disassembled earlier. Here, a temporary solution ensures that the new line incorporates a circuit of the old 220-kV line, the northern part of which is still in place. As such, the temporary line can maintain the grid connection in the direction of Güstrow. After crossing the Mahlpfuhler Fenn nature preserve, the line passes Uchtdorf, Burgstall, Cröchern, Blätz and Ellersell. In Wolmirstedt, the line reaches the substation from the east. The 220-kV circuit incorporated in the temporary line again connects to the old 220-kV towers north of Mose.
Future complete dismantling of the 220-kV overhead line
After the approval procedure, construction and commissioning of the further permit sections in the direction of Güstrow, the old 220-kV line can be completely dismantled. Between the Farsleben gravel pit and Uchtdorf, this will already happen by the end of the year.