German transmission system operator 50Hertz has commissioned the second circuit of its 380kV power line known as the Thuringian Power Bridge paving the way for further integration of renewable energy.
The 192km power line connects Bad Lauchstädt in Saxony-Anhalt with Redwitz in Bavaria, via Erfurt-Vieselbach and Altenfeld in Thuringia.
The power line will transmit some 5GW, 50Hertz said.
The company said it has invested €320m in the project, which will help reduce load on the power grid and avoid redispatch costs.
The first circuit on the south-west interconnector, which was commissioned in late 2015, led to congestion management savings of about €80m in the following year, 50Hertz said.
“With this line, the integration of electricity generated from renewable sources in the north-east of Germany is improved considerably”, said 50Hertz chief executive Boris Schucht.
