Jacobs has recently been appointed separately by transmission system operators TenneT and TransnetBW to support the planned SuedLink program which will deliver new underground cable connection to transport wind power from northern Germany to Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. SuedLink will help to better integrate renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, into Germany's electricity grid. It will also link with interconnectors to provide cross-border energy resilience.
SuedLink is a key component of Germany's power grid upgrade, required to meet its target of 80% of energy from renewable sources by 2050. The 700-km underground cable line is being planned and built by TenneT and TransnetBW, with an investment of approximately US$11 billion. TenneT is responsible for the northern section of the cable connection, while TransnetBW is responsible for its southern part. Jacobs will provide an integrated delivery partner approach to program and contract management, planning and approvals, stakeholder engagement, logistics, technical and other services on behalf of TenneT and TransnetBW, respectively. SuedLink is the first major project in Germany to use a central service provider contract approach.
Beginning October 2019, TenneT, TransnetBW, and Jacobs will be working together at the new SuedLink project site in Würzburg, starting with approximately 130 employees, with plans to grow to 250 as the project progresses. Additional project offices will be added in Germany. This local engagement will be vital as the project progresses its stakeholder communications, planning, and other activities in the region.
"The demand for smart, sustainable solutions across environmental and resource resiliency challenges is one of the biggest issues of our time and SuedLink is set to play a decisive role in Germany's renewal ambitions," says Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Europe Senior Vice President and General Manager Donald Morrison. "We look forward to supporting TenneT and TransnetBW to deliver this iconic transformational program with sustainable, community-orientated outcomes at its heart."
"SuedLink is the most important single project of the energy system transformation in Germany and also in Europe," said TenneT Managing Director Tim Meyerjürgens. "This is precisely why steering and coordination play a very important role."
"By commissioning Jacobs and setting up a SuedLink site in Würzburg, we have created ideal conditions for the successful implementation of the world's largest underground cable project central to transforming Germany's energy system," said Managing Director of TransnetBW Dr. Werner Götz.
