The four German power transmission system operators (TSOs) have published draft development plans through 2030 and 2035, estimating total investment costs at €34-36bn by 2030, assuming that the DC-1, DC-3 and DC-5 HVDC transmission lines, with a cumulated capacity of 8 GW, are built as underground cables and including €6bn for the start up of the network.
German TSOs plans to reinforce between 7,600 km and 8,500 km of existing cables and to build 3,800 km of new lines, including approximately 2,600 km of HVDC lines and around 1,200 km of AC lines. Around 330 km of direct current connections to Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Sweden should be built, with a total transmission capacity of 8 GW.
Where offshore grid is concerned, nearly 2,800 km of offshore lines could be developed by 2030 (3,700 km by 2035), with a planned network capacity ranging from 7.4 GW in 2030 to 11.4 GW in 2035. Total investments would then near €16bn by 2030 and €22bn by 2035.