Bayernwerk Netz starts mapping for grid expansion in Franconia

24.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The number of decentralized power generators in the Bayernwerk Netz area is steadily increasing. Environmental mapping is now starting for three grid expansion projects.

Three Bayernwerk Netz GmbH grid expansion projects will enter the next phase at the end of January: in the districts of Kronach and Coburg, environmental mapping will begin for the construction of a new underground cable line, the conversion of two overhead line pylons and the upgrading of an overhead line.

Until November, biologists from the specialist company TNL Buttenheim will first analyze the natural areas in the vicinity of the planned projects in order to gain insights into the animals and plants living there. "We are investigating the habitats of protected species such as the dormouse or various amphibians and reptiles. In order to document all species, the mapping experts usually visit the areas several times during the year and at different times of the day and year," explains Alischa Naomi Staebner, Project Manager for Environmental Planning at Bayernwerk Netz. The data collected will be incorporated into environmental reports, which will be taken into account in the further planning for the three projects.

In concrete terms, Bayernwerk Netz:

• the construction of a new high-voltage underground cable line between the Windheim substation and the premises of container glass manufacturer Wiegand-Glas in Steinbach am Wald. The approximately three-kilometer-long line will connect the company directly to the high-voltage grid and thus improve the site's power supply. The direct connection to Bayernwerk Netz's high-voltage grid is needed so that the container glass manufacturer can operate its melting tanks with more electricity in future and reduce the use of natural gas in return. Construction of this new line is expected to begin in 2027 so that it can go into operation in 2028.
• the replacement of two overhead line pylons at the Windheim substation at the end of 2026
• the modernization of the overhead line between Stockheim and Neustadt bei Coburg. Additional conductor cables are expected to be installed on the existing line in 2026 to make the line more efficient.

The reason for the grid expansion is the increasing number of decentralized systems for generating green electricity. According to Bayernwerk Netz, the district of Kronach is exemplary for the entire region: at the end of 2023, the distribution grid operator recorded an installed capacity of around 181 MW in the district. Between 2020 and 2023, the installed capacity more than doubled. In 2023, it even increased by 50 percent compared to the previous year. And the number of plants continues to rise: Bayernwerk-Netz has currently received connection requests for new generation plants in the district of Kronach with a capacity of 545 MW, which is three times the current installed capacity.

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien