SPIE carries out replacement high-voltage overhead line for Amprion in Rhineland, Germany

Düsseldorf, Germany, 23 June 2026 – SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, is installing a 380-kV extra-high-voltage overhead line between the Oberzier substation and the Blatzheim grid node near Kerpen on behalf of the transmission system operator Amprion. The new overhead line replaces an existing one and will significantly increase transmission capacity, particularly for electricity from renewable energy sources. The project will enhance grid stability and help ensure security of supply in a region of North Rhine-Westphalia currently undergoing the phase-out of coal and the accompanying structural changes.

The symbolic ground-breaking ceremony took place on 23 June 2026, and the new line is scheduled to come into operation in 2028. The replacement project has been part of the Network Development Plan Electricity since 2017 and is enshrined in the Federal Requirements Plan Act. In view of the phase-out of coal, the new power line will ensure that electricity from renewable sources is reliably supplied to industrial sites and households in the Rhineland area.

SPIE is acting as the main contractor for the project, which involves installing a high-voltage overhead line approximately 16 kilometres long with 46 new pylons, including route surveying and structural planning. It runs parallel to the existing overhead line at a distance of around 50 metres. The scope of services includes groundworks, the extensive assembly of pylons and cables, the erection of temporary structures, and the dismantling of existing infrastructure. The project is technically challenging, as it needs to be carried out whilst the grid remains in operation, in a sensitive environment with stringent requirements regarding environmental protection, nature conservation and species protection.

“Carrying out new installations, re-cabling and dismantling simultaneously within a grid area operating at full capacity requires precise planning and a high degree of technical expertise. The project will create additional capacity for reliable electricity transmission,” says Nicole Korycinski, Project Manager in the High Voltage Operational Division at SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria.

Burkhard Sager, General Manager of the High Voltage Operational Division at SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria, adds: “Upgrading the transmission grids is a key prerequisite for the energy transition. With this project, we are making a tangible contribution to a secure, sustainable energy supply in Germany.”