German grid operator 50Hertz is set to commence onshore construction for the Ostwind 3 grid connection, linking the 300MW Windanker offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea to the mainland in Germany.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour has issued the necessary permits for the land route and substation.
The approved onshore works include a 4km-long land route and a ten-hectare substation site in the municipality of Brunzow near Lubmin.
The sea route, 100km long within the territorial sea, and the construction of an offshore platform in the Exclusive Economic Zone have also received approval from the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency.
The Ostwind 3 grid connection will facilitate the transmission of electricity from the wind farm planned by Iberdrola, located north of the island of Rügen.
50Hertz CEO Stefan Kapferer stated: “The region around Lubmin will become an important hub for electricity from renewable sources in the following years. Such renewable energy sources are linked to regional value creation and opportunities for the sustainable economic development of this energy region by attracting companies.
“Several hydrogen projects are already in the works, as a connection to the gas system infrastructure is available.”
50Hertz has contracted HIS, a Dutch-Belgian joint venture, for the construction of the Jasmund offshore platform, which is underway at the Stormpolder shipyard near Rotterdam.
The completion of the Ostwind 3 grid connection is set for the third quarter (Q3) of 2026.
In Brünzow, the new substation’s construction is planned between the districts of Stilow and Klein Ernsthof.
Archaeological surveys will precede the construction, which is set to begin in the summer of 2024 and conclude by Q2 2026.
The submarine cable will be installed using horizontal directional drilling next to the port of Vierow. It will then be entrenched and routed underground to the Stilow substation.
The grid operator is responsible for the full planning, construction and operation of the offshore substation and the cable systems connecting the wind farm to the transmission grid.
In November 2023, 50Hertz obtained planning approval for the Hansa PowerBridge project.
This cross-border high-voltage direct current system will link the power grids of Germany and Sweden, supporting the development of the European internal energy market and Germany’s energy transition, leveraging Sweden’s hydropower and storage capacities.
