German power transmission network operator 50Hertz and its Swedish counterpart Svenska Kraftnät have signed a new cooperation agreement on the development of the "Hansa PowerBridge", a new 700 MW high voltage direct-current (HVDC) submarine cable aimed at strengthening the connection between the Swedish and the German transmission grids.
Transmission system operators have agreed on the time schedule, technical design, project organisation, ownership structures, cost allocation, tendering, construction and commissioning of the proposed line. The permitting procedures on both sides are expected to be completed by the end of 2021, to issue the call for tenders for the installations in 2022 and commission the project in 2025-2026. Total investment is estimated at more than €600m.
The 300-km long interconnection would connect the Güstrow substation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany) with Hurva in the south of Sweden. It would enable Germany to benefit from electricity from Swedish hydro-power plants when wind power generation is low; in turn, Sweden could benefit from surplus wind-generated electricity from the north-east of Germany.