TenneT and 50Hertz Receive First Heavy 525 kV Converter Transformers for SuedOstLink DC5 Converter Station in Wolmirstedt

Transmission operators 50Hertz and TenneT have taken delivery of the first two 320-tonne, 525 kV converter transformers at the Wolmirstedt converter station ...

Transmission operators 50Hertz and TenneT have taken delivery of the first two 320-tonne, 525 kV converter transformers at the Wolmirstedt converter station in Saxony-Anhalt, marking a major milestone for the 540-kilometer SuedOstLink DC5 project.

Heavy-Haul Logistics Across German Waterways and Rail

Manufactured by Siemens Energy in Nuremberg, the 525 kV single-phase converter transformers were transported via specialized roll-on/roll-off barges along the Elbe River and the Mittelland Canal before final heavy-girder road haulage into the Wolmirstedt substation.

Equipped with low-noise external oil-to-air coolers, optical tap changers, and Ester-compatible insulation, the units step down wind power from the northeastern grid to feed the ±525 kV underground DC link extending to Isar near Landshut in Bavaria.

Underground Cable Trenching and Jointing Progress

Simultaneously, cable contractors have pulled over 220 kilometers of 525 kV extruded XLPE cables through underground ducts in Thuringia and northern Bavaria.

When commissioned in 2027, SuedOstLink DC5 will transmit 2,000 MW of renewable power, relieving chronic redispatch costs between eastern Germany and Bavarian load centers.