Press release

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OPERATORS PUBLISH FIRST DRAFT OF

GRID DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2035, VERSION 2021

• Four-week public consultation begins

• Plan takes account of German government and EU

requirements on energy policy and climate policy

and TransnetBW have published the first draft of the Grid

Development Plan (GDP) 2035, Version 2021, at

www.netzentwicklungsplan.de. This signals the start of a four-week

public consultation process, during which comments can be submitted

online, by e-mail or in writing until 28 February 2021. The comments

will be incorporated into the second draft of the GDP, which will

subsequently be subsequently submitted to the Bundesnetzagentur

(BNetzA) for review.

As in the previous GDPs, it is apparent that the advancing energy

increasingly flexible demand response. The draft takes account of an

energy system without nuclear power and largely without coal-fired

generation, therefore adhering to both German and European

requirements under energy and climate policy.

The GDP 2035 (2021) looks ahead in detail to 2035 for the first time,

in three scenarios, with an outlook towards 2040, and shows the need

for grid development to ensure that Germany continues to have a

reliable and efficient supply of electricity. In terms of the proportion of

gross electricity consumption, renewable energy will account for

Sea and the Baltic in particular playing a considerably greater part.

Wind energy has the largest share of the energy mix in all scenarios

of this GDP, although there is expected to be a sharp rise in insalled

capacity and hence generation in photovoltaics, too.

GDP 2035 (2021) investment volume

The estimated investment volume for the proposed onshore measures

is put at between 72 and 76.5 billion euros. This total includes

investment in what is referred to as the “starting grid”. These include

In order to meet the energy and climate policy requirements there is a

particular need for grid development measures but also expansion

measures. The majority of the projects are already included in the

Federal Requirement Plan 2021. The starting grid includes 3,640 km

of new AC lines and 2,580 km of new DC lines. In the additional grid

the measures comprise between 3,560 and 3,685 km of AC lines,

mainly grid upgrades, and between 1,855 and 2,385 km of DC lines in

2035, the majority of them offshore grid connections. In Scenarios A

and B for 2035, around 800 km of AC and DC measures are required

over and above the Federal Requirement Plan 2021, while in Scenario

On the foundation of the scenario framework approved by BNetzA and

the sites designated in the Site Development Plan 2020, investments

of between 33 and 38.5 billion euros will be made for the offshore grid

of the GDP 2035 (2021) for the integration of 28 to 32 GW of offshore

wind energy. The share of addition grid in the offshore grid is between

3,210 and 3,860 km in 2035.

Tools curbing the need to expand the onshore grid

A combination of various measures ensures that dimensioning of the

In determining the need for grid optimisation, grid upgrading and grid

expansion, the GDP takes explicit account of technologies such as

weather-dependent operation of overhead power lines, the use of

high-temperatures low-sag conductors and elements for active control

of power flow. The potential for future innovative technologies such as

advanced system operation concepts and grid boosters have also

been included.

The scenarios

BNetzA approved and published the scenario framework for the GDP

2035 (2021) on 26 June 2020. The scenario framework makes

assumptions regarding the energy landscape in 2035 and 2040: three

scenarios look ahead to 2035, and one scenario envisages

development through to 2040. All scenarios are set out on the basis of

technologies. Electricity-based decarbonisation measures in the

industry sector and increasing demand for IT computing power as a

result of digitalisation will also contribute to the rise.

Further information can be found at www.netzentwicklungsplan.de