The 525 kV underground cables (HVDC cables) are delivered to the ISA Heilbronn and pose special challenges for transshipment. The cable drums weigh up to 99.5 tonnes per drum and must be handled with a high degree of precision. Rhenus uses a straddle carrier to handle the cable drums and store them in the intermediate storage area. The carrier is provided by the client, the leading cable producer NKT. Rhenus offers an extensive infrastructure to cope with the heavy loads caused by the heavy material.
‘We are pleased to be part of the groundbreaking SuedLink project and to be able to contribute our expertise to the energy transition in Germany by operating the interim storage facility in Heilbronn and handling the cable drums,’ says Anna Most, Managing Director of Rhenus Port Logistics Rhein-Neckar. The delivery of the drums to the installation sites is planned for 2026 to 2027. Rhenus will handle and store more than 100 cable drums and around 280 accessory parts in the project period from August 2024 to March 2027. A storage area of 10,100 square metres has been renovated to support the heavy loads for the project.
Sustainable power supply for ten million households
The SuedLink construction project is one of three major underground cable projects that are intended to contribute to a sustainable energy supply in Germany in the long term. The two parallel DC lines will enable the supply of ten million households. The route connects the windy north with the sunnier south and enables the transmission of renewable energies over a distance of 700 kilometres. If the generation of renewable energies is ever insufficient, the connection to the NordLink route ensures additional security of supply. This means that, if necessary, SuedLink can feed electricity from Norwegian hydropower, another renewable energy source, into the German power grid and ensure a stable transmission capacity of up to four gigawatts.
This is the second time that Rhenus has been involved in an infrastructure project for the German energy transition. Since 2021, the Rhenus Project Logistics unit has been involved in the construction of the HVDC ‘SuedOstLink’ line, which runs through eastern Germany.