Germany’s plans to expand its offshore grid will cost up to €10bn, while the price tag for expansion on land could reach €34bn.
The costs were outlined by the country’s transmission system operators (TSOs) in the latest draft plans for a grid expansion on land and sea out to 2025.
Offshore grid costs are lower than in previous plans, but only because the federal government has reduced the scale of the expansion.
However, land costs have risen steeply because the government has decided to bury most HVDC lines underground. This decision was taken last year following protests in Bavaria over plans for overland lines.
Grid expansion will be financed by consumers via a surcharge on electricity bills.
The plans will now be scrutinised and approved by Germany’s grid regulator federal network agency BNetzA. The final grid expansion plan is expected by the end of the year.
Image: Riffgat wind farm in the German North Sea (EWE)
