In cooperation with German transmission system operator Amprion, Creos plans to build a 380-kV extra-high-voltage line from Bertrange to Aach (Germany) via Bofferdange, as well as a 380/220/110-65-kV transformer station.
In cooperation with German transmission system operator Amprion, Creos plans to build a 380-kV extra-high-voltage line from Bertrange to Aach (Germany) via Bofferdange, as well as a 380/220/110-65-kV transformer station near Bofferdange/Altlinster. Eventually, the existing infrastructure, which dates back to the 1960s, will no longer be able to safely meet the country's ever-increasing electricity needs, due to strong economic and demographic growth. This new construction project will modernise the network, guarantee national security of supply and improve the quality of life of the entire population.
The existing 220 kV line from Heisdorf to Trier/Quint is currently a major constituent part of the electricity network between Luxembourg and Germany. Given the steady increase in electricity demand in Luxembourg, modernisation of this link is crucial. In this respect, Creos is planning to replace this existing 220 kV line between the substations in Heisdorf and Trier/Quint with a more efficient, low-loss 380 kV line between Bofferdange and Aach near Trier.
This future-oriented replacement construction will pave the way for an increase in the international interconnector capacity between Luxembourg and Germany, thus preventing future energy supply restrictions in Luxembourg.
The existing 220 kV line from Heisdorf to Bertrange is to be replaced with a 380 kV line on the same basis as the replacement of the 220 kV line from Heisdorf to Trier/Quint. On this new section, the line will curve around the villages in the municipalities of Lorentzweiler and Steinsel. In order to protect the landscape, the new 380 kV line will revert to the route of the existing 220 kV line after the village of Bridel. Respect for people and nature are guidelines for this project as well.
This replacement project will allow Creos to remove the Heisdorf substation from the village centre by connecting this line to the new Bofferdange substation outside the residential area. This means the existing high-voltage overhead lines will be completely removed from the Alzette valley in the municipalities of Walferdange and Steinsel.
The two sections of the new extra-high-voltage line are planned as overhead lines. The towers will have an average height of around 60 metres above ground level, making them approx. 15 metres taller than the towers of the existing 220 kV line. Depending on the location, they can be slightly taller or shorter, for example for forest crossings, road crossings or on slopes. Overall, the plans include around 170 towers on the two stretches between the Bofferdange substation and the German-Luxembourg border and between Bofferdange and Bertrange.
At first glance, overhead lines have a greater impact on the landscape, but in general terms their environmental impact is much less than underground cables at this voltage level. For construction work on overhead lines, the main concerns are over ground obstacles along the route and laying the foundations for the tower sites. However, underground cabling involves more extensive construction work and there is much greater disruption. As the cable routes must be freed of deep-rooted plants, the areas become largely untenable for larger-scale vegetation.
As this is a replacement and not a completely new build project, the planned dismantling measures will remove significantly more towers and kilometres of overhead lines from the landscape compared to the new built infrastructure. In total, nearly 225 towers and 75 km of overhead lines will be dismantled.
A substation is part of the supply network which connects different voltage levels. Currently we do not have any substations in Luxembourg which would be compatible with the new 380 kV line. But instead of upgrading and expanding the open-air substation in Heisdorf, Creos is planning a new substation well outside of residential areas which can transform the voltage down from 380 kV to 220 kV and from 220 kV to 110/65 kV for further distribution. The new 380 kV substation part will be an open-air switchgear station, which has the benefits of being quick and simple to install, maintain and repair. However, the 220 kV and 110/65 kV sections will be indoor switch gear stations, known as gas-isolated-switchgear station (GIS) inside a building. All transformers are installed outside in order to avoid complicated forced cooling.
The new construction measures planned will improve the overall appearance of the electricity network in future. Extensive compensation measures will relieve the burden in the centre of the country, especially the Alzette valley, and the north-east of the country.
Since the end of the 1960s, the demand for electrical energy has increased steadily in Luxembourg. While initially this was due to rising numbers of applications both in private households and in industry, today it is more a function of the digitalisation of our world and the above-average demographic and economic development in our country.
In the 2018 coalition agreement, the government established that the energy of tomorrow will be renewable and primarily electric in order to cope with the rapid development of electro-mobility and the digital revolution in our world, without additional CO2 emissions. At the same time, it sets ambitious energy- saving targets and will also promote the development of decentralised energy production, which will enable everyone to participate in energy supply. While these new measures will in the future reduce the need for new infrastructure to transport electrical energy, high- voltage equipment needs to be modernised and further integrated into the European electricity transmission network. Efficient, flexible and reliable transport networks are essential for a successful energy transition.
While the existing Creos high-voltage transport network has successfully and reliably provided top quality electrical energy to the country, it will reach its limits in the near future. In order to counteract this and continue to guarantee a reliable supply of power for our customers, Creos is planning to build new, more performant infrastructures and dismantle existing facilities which are no longer required.
The following measures are planned within the scope of this project:
The project is based on the following premises:
Public consultation on the proposed route is now complete. The Ministry of the Environment now has a maximum of 90 days to issue a reasoned decision. We thank the public for their active participation.
Creos Luxembourg S.A. informs you that the public consultation process for the modernisation of its high-voltage infrastructure (380 kV) on the Bofferdange-Bertrange and Bofferdange-Aach sections is now online. - More information -
Project 380 timeline adapted to 22.04.2024
The additional information requested as part of the environmental impact assessment studies for project 380 has been presented and submitted to the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MECDD).
The municipalities affected by project 380, as well as the other ministries, have the opportunity to give their opinion on the additional information by a deadline to be announced by the MECCD.
The date for public participation is scheduled for March 2024 and will be announced by the MECDD.
The additional information requested as part of the environmental impact assessment studies for project 380 was finalised in October 2023 and will be presented together with the engineering firm to the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MECDD) in November.
The date for public participation will be announced by the MECDD once the additional information has been verified.
The additional information requested as part of the environmental impact assessment studies for project 380 should be finalised in October 2023 and then submitted to the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MECDD) and to the municipalities concerned.
The date for public participation will be announced at a later date.
Following the opinions and comments received on the environmental impact assessment studies from the municipalities affected by the 380 project and the Ministry of the Environment (MECDD), Creos has been asked to complete and clarify certain points in the dossier. As a result, the date for the public consultation has had to be postponed. The precise date and any information relating to this public consultation will be communicated to you at a later date.
The environmental impact assessment studies have been sent to the Ministry of the Environment (MECDD) for the follow-up required by law, i.e. transfer to the authorities for their opinion (lasting 3 months) and public consultation in February 2023 (estimated period). We will keep you informed of the date and details of this public consultation at a later date.
In order to inform the residents of the communes affected by these new infrastructures, Creos is pleased to invite them to three information sessions organised in Junglinster on 12.10.2022, in Steinsel on 13.10.2022 and in Bertrange on 19.10.2022.
During these information evenings, interested parties will be able to
The environmental impact assessment is nearing completion. You can also find the appropriate timing here.
The development of the technical elements, as well as the introduction and analysis of other route variants, meant that the schedule had to be adapted.
Now that the scoping phase has been completed, you can consult the dossiers for the two sections of project 380 on the Ministry of the Environment website under the heading "Projets soumis à une EIE":
The scoping phase for our 380 project is almost complete, and the project will shortly be published on the ministerial website www.eie.lu under the heading "projects subject to the EIA process". The environmental impact assessment (EIA) study, based on the analysis opinions issued during the scoping phase, is now underway. The first stage involves compiling all kinds of data concerning man and nature (housing, workplaces, transport, archaeology, fauna and flora, networks, planned developments, etc.).
It is expected that this environmental study will be completed by the end of 2021, followed by a public consultation. Creos will communicate this information on its website www.creos.net/380 and through the press; the results will then be available on the Ministry's website www.eie.lu.
Creos announces that the applications for "Project 380" have been submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development. The scoping phase to draw up the specifications for the environmental impact study has been launched.
Creos has published Scenario Report 2040 - version 2020, replacing the 2018 version of the report.
Creos announces that the application file for "Project 380" is being finalised and will be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment by the end of October 2020 at the latest. The scoping phase, in which other ministries, government departments, local authorities and the general public will be able to submit their comments with a view to drawing up the specifications for everything that needs to be covered by the environmental impact assessment, will then begin.
By opting for open and transparent communication, Creos aims to involve all the parties concerned in the process (property owners, local residents, municipalities, institutions, local residents) and keep them informed of the different phases of the project.
The environmental impact assessments for the two very-high-voltage infrastructure upgrade projects are nearing completion and will soon be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development.
To inform the residents of the municipalities affected by these new infrastructures, Creos organised three information sessions in October in Junglinster, Steinsel and Bertrange.
During these sessions, the residents concerned had the opportunity to:
The Scenario Report 2040 shows that the electricity network needs to be strengthened and extended to meet the country's growing demand for electricity. The project therefore aims to ensure that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a forward-looking energy supply, taking into account the country's demographic and economic development. We also want to enable new customers in the electromobility, renewable energy and digital economy sectors to be connected to the electricity grid without hindrance.
The European integration of very high voltage is also of great importance to Luxembourg. We see this as a decisive step in the development of the European energy market, from which all Member States benefit. Efficient European connections not only contribute to the cross-border exchange of electricity. A modern, high-performance electricity grid is also needed to balance regional fluctuations in renewable energy production (*).
The network development plans are constantly updated to take account of changes in the load, but also by continually monitoring the markets and new technologies. The first network analyses and plans for the project date back to 2015. These analyses, which also looked at the European network as a whole, suggest that a 380 kV connection is appropriate.
At European level, the project has been included in ENTSO-E's ten-year network development plan "TYNDP" under the identifier "Project 328 - DE-LUX Interconnector", and in Germany BNetzA has confirmed the project under the number "P406" in the German network development plan.
Finally, network expansion is also part of the 2018 coalition agreement between the governing parties. They emphasise that the expansion of the electricity grid is necessary "in order to maintain or even extend the country's security of supply and to ensure optimum integration into the European energy market (*)".
(*) https://gouvernement.lu/de/publications/accord-coalition/2018-2023.html
The Creos network in Luxembourg and the Amprion network in Germany belong to the same bidding zone, so it makes sense to link Luxembourg to the German network. This will avoid price differences between the two networks.
In the interconnection of European networks, the 380 kV voltage level is used for the major energy transmission lines and for interconnections between different countries. Energy flows are regulated at supra-regional level in the interconnected Northern European grid by the German transmission system operator Amprion.
In addition, we also looked into a connection to the Belgian grid Elia, but an extension of capacity towards Germany proved more appropriate. Creos is already using an existing line via a phase-shifting transformer.
Extensive improvement measures will considerably relieve the central part of the country, in particular the Alzette valley, and the north-east of the country by dismantling or burying lines. The new construction of around 50 km of lines with 170 pylons will be offset by the dismantling of 75 km of lines with 225 pylons. Here are the details:
The communities concerned will also benefit from the project, as the new infrastructure will be better integrated into the landscape.
The project will increase energy efficiency, as the 380 kV lines will reduce electricity losses due to transmission.
Networks are important to ensure the safe transmission of energy and to guarantee the subsequent transmission of surplus energy from renewable electricity production. This helps to reduce "forwarding costs". Ultimately, this also benefits consumers.
Finally, the expansion of the grid will also provide the green energy needed for sustainable electromobility (*). This is particularly important for reducing CO2 emissions.
The current infrastructure is already saturated and will reach its limits in the near future. Studies show that, even assuming a small increase in load per year, additional transmission capacity to neighbouring countries will have to be created in the medium and long term. This is the only way to import the energy needed to cover the load on the Creos network.
This conclusion is reinforced by current economic developments. For example, we are currently assuming an increase in load of around 70% by 2033 compared with today. The context, in addition to an expected increase in load due to electromobility, also includes the establishment of new large industrial consumers, although these are not the main driver (1).
The current coalition agreement also states:
"Tomorrow's energy will be renewable and, above all, electric, so that the electromobility revolution and the increasing digitalisation of our world can become a reality (2)". If one line fails, the remaining line alone can no longer guarantee the transmission of future demand for electricity.
(2) https://gouvernement.lu/de/publications/accord-coalition/2018-2023.html
We currently assume that the grid extension project will not have a negative impact on electricity prices for end consumers. In the long term, an efficient, well-connected and intelligent European energy market may even have a positive effect on electricity prices.
Creos is aware of its responsibility to protect nature and the environment in all its activities, and places great emphasis on sustainability in the construction and maintenance of technical infrastructure and administrative buildings.
In accordance with the law, Creos has entrusted the task of carrying out environmental impact assessments to a firm of independent, accredited experts under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment. These studies essentially consist of an inspection of the area where the works are to be carried out. It takes into account people and their habitat, i.e. built-up areas with their extensions and workplaces, i.e. business parks, and their possible future development. It also looks at infrastructure and, very importantly, it takes into account our environment, nature, including wildlife.
For many years, Creos has used alternative construction measures wherever possible, to avoid imposing an additional burden on the available space and to keep the ecological footprint as small as possible. When dismantling old power lines, materials are recycled wherever possible and foundations are completely removed.
For example, for waste generated during the construction and maintenance of the lines, Creos carries out strict waste sorting and disposal in accordance with the regulations of the Luxembourg Ministry of the Environment. In addition, Creos also participates in the SuperDrecksKëscht™ programme. This programme is an important part of modern waste management in Luxembourg and helps to avoid or reduce problematic substances.
When maintaining the route of a line, trees and bushes are cut back as far-sightedly and purposefully as possible. Finally, Creos relies on ecological supervision of construction and even has biotope management plans drawn up by external experts in certain cases.
People's health is of the utmost importance to Creos and is the focus of attention in all its construction projects. A sense of responsibility and reliability are at the heart of everything we do together. Our work always meets the latest safety requirements.
All infrastructures are doubly secured by Creos. For example, overhead line cables are fixed to masts using multiple-insulated chains. The perimeters of existing and future buildings are avoided. New overhead lines and high-voltage installations are built outside development zones.
To date, scientific studies have been unable to prove a causal link between electric or magnetic fields from power lines and damage to human health. The intensity of electric and magnetic fields decreases with distance from the lines. Creos always respects the legal limits and will take into account the necessary distances between new lines and built-up areas. The World Health Organisation's precautionary values for radiation protection, which are also the basis for European regulations and Luxembourg authorisations, apply to emissions of electric and magnetic fields.
The noise likely to be generated during the transport of energy in conductor cables or by transformers is technically reduced so that no additional noise pollution is caused for residents. We attach great importance to this. We comply with all the permitted guide values for noise levels in residential areas. In principle, we use low-noise equipment.
When building overhead lines, construction activity is reduced to the location of the mast. Here too, we want to minimise disruption to residents as much as possible.
Creos respects all applicable laws, including minimum distances, in all network extension projects. These minimum distances are specified in public permits or depend on the development plans of the respective municipalities. In addition, we take particular account of European standard DIN-EN 50341, which lays down binding rules for design and construction requirements.
The planning process takes more than seven years in total. This allows us to take proper account of all concerns (such as the interests of local residents) and minimise risks (safety, environmental protection, funding, etc.).
Implementation then takes around four years. Given these long periods, it is all the more important to provide information at an early stage and to take the necessary measures in good time so as not to jeopardise Luxembourg's future security of supply.
One of the reasons for this long lead time is that Creos focuses on ecological and safety monitoring of the construction, and those affected (e.g. citizens, forest rangers or communities) are also involved in the implementation. The construction measures themselves are carried out by selected external specialist companies. Creos relies on long-established partnerships with experienced companies.
As part of the environmental impact assessment studies that have just been carried out, options and variants have been studied, and the option of an underground line or an overhead line has also been addressed. Of course, the studies also include a description of the structures, such as the pylons. They will list the impacts as well as the advantages and disadvantages.
Creos is currently planning an overhead line.
The environmental impact assessment studies analysed several possible locations for the transformer station, 5 of which are to the east of Bofferdange and 1 to the west of Altlinster. A possible concept and a description of the substation components are also included. When the project was launched, a substation with a 380 kV overhead section was presented at the scoping stage. In the meantime, the concept has evolved and all parts of the substation have been integrated into 3 buildings, with only the transformers remaining under the open sky. The location has not yet been definitively determined.
If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact our Communications Department by e-mail communication@creos.net
