Underground Power Highways Coming to Berlin: What You Need to Know
Underground Power Infrastructure Expansion: 50Hertz Plans Three Power Highways in Berlin - Underground electricity infrastructure expansion: 3 electricity highways being constructed beneath Berlin by 50 Hertz
Get ready, Berliners! The transmission grid operator 50Hertz is set to construct three underground high-voltage power lines straight through the heart of our city. This move is intended to boost transport capacities, particularly for electricity from renewable energy sources.
"Green energy is key to Berlin's economic success," says 50Hertz CEO, Stefan Kapferer. "These three new underground lines will beef up our infrastructure without hogging urban space unduly."
Cables as deep as 40 meters below ground
One project involves enhancing and strengthening the cable diagonal Berlin, which traverses the city from northwest to east. A new six-kilometer section between the substations Reuter and Teufelsbruch in Berlin-Hakenfelde will be built at depths of up to 40 meters. A four-meter diameter tunnel will house the cables, replacing the existing route and boosting capacity by about 40 percent.
The second project is the cable vertical Berlin South, a 14-kilometer long tunnel starting near the Berlin city border in Großbeeren. Lastly, the cable vertical Berlin North is an approximately 20-kilometer long line, with 17 kilometers underground. The line begins at UW Reuter, connects a new, yet-to-be-built substation in Tegel's search area, and ends at UW Malchow.
What about the residents?
The new power lines won't start rolling out until 2036 and are planned for completion by the end of the 30s, but it's uncertain how much these projects will cost.
While most construction work will take place underground, it's improbable that it will go unnoticed by residents. "Building in densely populated urban areas presents technical challenges and demands open dialogue with all stakeholders," says Kapferer. "We urge politics to take an active role in supporting these vital energy transition projects."
While specific impacts on residents aren't readily available, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Noise and Disruption: Underground construction can still cause noise and vibrations, potentially disrupting local life. Noise-reducing measures and off-peak work periods can help mitigate these effects.
- Environmental Impact: Environmental impact assessments evaluate and minimize risks to the local ecosystem throughout construction.
- Infrastructure and Access: Temporary changes in road access or local infrastructure are to be expected due to construction, but these are usually planned to minimize disruption.
- Long-term Benefits: The underground power highways aim to improve energy infrastructure, potentially resulting in better electricity supply and support for future energy requirements.
"In the future, Berlin's community policy may include discussions on the long-term environmental and economic benefits of the upcoming underground power highways, considering the integration of science, especially environmental-science, and technology in the vocational training programs to address the technical challenges posed by constructingthese projects in densely populated urban areas."
"Moreover, the implementation of the new underground power lines could potentially involve vocational training programs focused on the successful execution of tasks related to the improvement of urban infrastructure, while reducing the environmental impact and maintaining minimal disruption to the local community."
