Salzgitter industrial line connected to the grid

• New power line bolsters Salzgitter as an industrial hub and supports the transformation of Salzgitter AG

On Monday, TenneT Germany officially commissioned the Salzgitter industrial power line. The new power line provides a key piece of infrastructure for the transformation of one of Lower Saxony’s largest industrial hubs, whilst also strengthening the region’s security of supply. The official commissioning ceremony was attended by, amongst others, Lower Saxony’s Minister-President Olaf Lies, as well as representatives from industry and the energy sector. Salzgitter AG was represented by Dr Heike Denecke-Arnold, Chairwoman of the Management Board of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH.

“With our SALCOS® programme, we have embarked on the path towards low-carbon steel production. The first phase of expansion in Salzgitter is nearing completion and will be finalised next year when the new facilities, such as the electric arc furnace, come on stream. As the transformation of steel production largely involves the electrification of processes, the new industrial power line is a key infrastructural prerequisite for the success of SALCOS®. The rapid expansion of grid capacity is of paramount importance to Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH and the entire Salzgitter Group,” said Denecke-Arnold on the occasion of the commissioning of the Salzgitter industrial power line.

With the increasing electrification of industrial processes, electricity demand is set to rise not only for Salzgitter AG in the long term, but across the entire region. The existing 220 kV grid would not have been able to meet the foreseeable additional demand in the long term. The Salzgitter industrial power line provides the necessary additional capacity and is therefore an essential prerequisite for the further development of the industrial site.

Tim Meyerjürgens, CEO of TenneT Germany, explained: “High-performance electricity grids are a crucial location factor and of central importance to our country’s economic future. It is a matter of competitiveness, industrial value creation and ensuring that companies continue to invest, manufacture and create jobs in Germany in the future. To achieve this, electricity must reach the places where it is needed. Salzgitter demonstrates that grid expansion can be accomplished quickly. This pace, reliable framework conditions, and the shared commitment to moving projects forward must also set the standard for other important infrastructure projects in Germany.”

The Salzgitter industrial power line connects the Liedingen and Bleckenstedt/Süd substations via a 380-kV overhead line approximately ten kilometres long. Planning began in May 2021. Construction of the substations began in September 2023, followed by the construction of the overhead line in April 2024. The project forms part of the Ostfalen Axis, a project area approximately 100 kilometres long stretching from Mehrum near Peine to the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.