SPIE is realizing a new 380-kV power line for Amprion within the existing transmission route

• At the beginning of 2020 SPIE won the contract for section 1, a 14.6 kilometre-long part of the new 380-kV extra-high voltage line which is to be built between Osterath and Gohrpunkt — work on the 7.5 kilometre-long contract section 2, which was already commissioned in July 2019 and began in early of 2020.
• The new 380-kV line replaces the existing 220-kV line, which is being dismantled in the same transmission route.
• The client is the transmission network operator Amprion. Both contract sections were awarded through restricted bid invitations

Montabaur, 6 April 2020 – SPIE won two contracts from the Dortmund-based transmission network operator Amprion for realising a 380-kV high voltage line. This involves both contract sections of the new 380-kV overhead line between Osterath and Gohrpunkt, measuring a total length of 22.1 kilometres. The new high voltage line replaces an existing 220-kV line in the current North-South transmission route. It is a sub-section of project No.15 from the Energieleitungsausbaugesetz - EnLAG (German Power Grid Expansion Act). The 136 km-long connection from Osterath near Düsseldorf to Weißenthurm near Koblenz is for strengthening the power grid from North to South ¹

Ambitious project

Starting with project management and provision of the necessary infrastructure, right through to building the mast foundations, fitting the steel lattice masts and the subsequent support of the cable work, SPIE is completely responsible for realising the two commissioned contract sections. The newly commissioned section of the transmission route, with a total length of 14.6 kilometres consists of a total of 35 steel lattice masts, which will carry up to 6 electric circuits per section. Some of the masts are as high as 80 metres, and their total weight is approx. 2,800 tons. For the foundations of the masts, slab foundations are mainly envisaged, with a total volume of 6,000 cubic metres of concrete. Depending on the subsoil properties, some of the masts will have bore pile foundations reaching to a depth of 15 metres under the ground surface.

In order to ensure a constant supply security in all voltage levels (110-/220 and 380-kV) during the construction phase, on several exposed parts of the transmission route comprehensive provisional electric circuit connections are being built. Sophisticated crossings over highways and electrified railway routes are also to be realised on this section of the transmission route. For this purpose, numerous planning processes and measures for ensuring traffic safety have to be implemented. At peak times, more than 50 fitters will be required in the individual sections.

Precise planning

Amongst other things, a particularly great challenge is the section of the transmission route which is currently running through the town of Neuss Reuschenberg. Here the existing transmission route is being completely removed from the affected areas and directed around the town in a new bypass transmission route, which must be built. “For this purpose, comprehensive switching-dependent work has to be performed in several sections, because all affected power lines cannot be simultaneously shut down at any point in time”, explains Christopher Helfenbein, SPIE Project Manager for line construction in Montabaur. “In order to reliably cope with the complexity of this contract, a great deal of planning and precise implementation is required by our team on site.”

Experience and expertise for outstanding partnership

SPIE and Amprion share years of trustworthy cooperation. The multi-technical service provider already successfully implemented contracts in the field of building power lines for the transmission network operator throughout Germany. Thanks to years of experience in building high-voltage lines, SPIE is able to implement such comprehensive services for its long-term clients. Clients of SPIE have once again confirmed their trust in the company’s technical expertise by commissioning it with such a complex and ambitious project.

¹ Source : https://www.amprion.net/Netzausbau/Aktuelle-Projekte/Osterath-Weißenthurm/