Construction has started for two more stages of the 4-GW SuedLink high-voltage power transmission project connecting North and South Germany, system operator TransnetBW said Sept. 19.

After years of delays, Germany's biggest single energy infrastructure project, estimated to cost Eur10 billion, is now on track to start by the end of 2028.

The 700 km cable project will be built in 15 stages, with Tennet developing the northern and TransnetBW developing the southern stages simultaneously.

SuedLink, which has been in planning for over a decade, will transmit surplus wind from the North Sea region to demand centers in southern Germany and significantly help to ease grid bottlenecks within Germany.

The initial 2022 target date, coinciding with Germany's nuclear exit, was delayed because the route was replanned as underground cable amid widespread local opposition to overhead lines.

Work started this week in the states of Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, and state energy ministers attended the ground-breaking ceremonies, TransnetBW said.

Energy Minister Katherina Reiche attended the start of construction in Bavaria in July, underlining the link's importance for Germany's power system.

Grid bottlenecks have hampered Germany's wind expansion over recent years and inflated grid fees.