NorGer
NorGer is one of the two planned line connections for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission through the North Sea between Norway and Germany, the other is called NORD.LINK. The staff responsible for project design, construction and operation enterprises NorGer KS based in Norway is owned by the Norwegian TSO Statnett SF.
The project
NorGer KS is planning a high-voltage direct current transmission system between Germany and Norway for the exchange of electrical energy to build through the North Sea. The goal is to connect the Norwegian and German power grids. For NorGer laid a 570 km long high-voltage cable to the bottom of the North Sea. The cable is able to transmit a power of 1400 MW.
The submarine cable is to come to the Lower Saxony North Sea coast at Butjadingen ashore. From there it is routed to the 50 km away, Moorriem at Elsfleth. There, a converter station for coupling to the German high-voltage grid is built. In Norway, the cable will land in the area of Flekkefjord, and the current is passed through a 70 km long overhead line after Tonstad in the community Sirdal. A converter station for coupling to the Norwegian high-voltage network is built.
The submarine cable will be on the Norwegian, Danish and German continental shelf. An HVDC submarine cable NorNed same design with 700 MW capacity is already operated since 2008 between Norway and the Netherlands.
The commissioning was initially planned for the year 2015 and was in 2012 to the year 2020Vorlage: Future / In 5 years or postponed.
Method of Installation
The cable is routed by a special cable laying ship on the ocean floor. A hydraulic plow thereby lifts on the seabed a trench in which the cable is buried and covered with the excavation. In areas with a stony seabed, the cable can be protected by stone sinking. The exact cable route is determined by a comprehensive mapping of the seabed along with the expected cable stretch.
Performance
The maximum possible power to be transmitted is 1400 MW and can optionally be transferred to one of the two possible directions. The DC power cable is operated with a bipolar supply voltage of ± 450 kV to ± 500 kV. By the bipolar embodiment, the disadvantages of a back electrode to ground in the sea, resulting in the unwanted production of chlorine compounds, and a metal corrosion of the electrodes are avoided. For at least two high-voltage cables must be laid.
Since the power supply in Germany and Norway is based on alternating current converter stations have to be built in both countries, which rectify the AC power and convert it into direct current which is transmitted through the cable. Each converter station requires an area of about 250,000 m².
At the transition from cable to overhead line a cable riser is built.
Electricity trading
The capacitance of the cable is open to all traders in the Nordic power exchange Nord Pool system and the EEX energy exchange through an " implicit auction method " is available. Under an implicit auction is defined as the current trade between two electricity markets such as the EEX and Nord Pool. This market coupling is to the new European Market Coupling Company ( EMCC) ensure the joint procurement of electricity supply and cross- border transmission rights.
The system can carry the same power as a block of a nuclear power plant in about. The legal framework for such a project is governed by an EU Regulation ( EU Regulation 1228/2003 on conditions for access to cross- border trade in electricity ). The competent authority is the Federal Network Agency. Through an exemption the facility rules on network connection and access can be free, and get financial benefits. The exemption was granted on November 25, 2010.
Conditions
For the project, extensive publicity was operated. Media with nationwide significance reported above, including the Germany radio and ARD. For instance, reported on 20 September 2010, the German magazine Report Mainz, the realization of the system is impossible due to a lack of legal basis. This will be " blocked " by the " nuclear lobby ", the " against renewables " fight.
"In order to connect the submarine cables to the German network " lacked a "simple regulation ", which could be made possible only by changing the power plant power connector Regulation ( KrafNAV ). In a statement, said German Economics Minister Rainer Brüderle that any legal uncertainty, because this in an EU Regulation ( EU Regulation 1228/2003 ) is regulated and NorGer KS have already submitted an application to the competent authority ( Federal Network Agency ).
The approval granted on November 25, Exemption of Federal Network Agency recognizes NorGer KS as transmission system operators and explicitly guarantees non-discriminatory market access. NorGer KS concretized on SWR and ZDF that for future projects more " reliability " is desired in the context of KraftNAV. The Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that changes to the framework " be examined ".
Beginning of April 2011 renounced NorGer KS to the authorization granted exemption due to concerns from the European Commission. The authority of the EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger criticized that the two sister projects ( NorNed and NORD.LINK ) had received special dispensation, and that no approval had been granted by the Norwegian authorities.
In August 2011, Statnett has announced the results of a study on the network situation in southern Norway. Already currently the mains comes regularly to the capacity limit. Before attachment of other international routes, therefore, an extension is necessary. As a consequence, Statnett puts together the project management NorGer and Northern Link. In addition, in August 2011, the Norwegian energy companies Agder Energi AS and Lyse Produksjon AS and Swiss EGL AG ( electricity company Laufenburg ) have sold their shares in the company from 16.67% depending on Statnett.
Criticism
Against the converter station, which is necessary for the coupling to the German high-voltage grid to August 2010 was formed in the affected community Moorriem resistance. Earlier, it was criticized that NorGer KS residents provided information to the regional planning process just before the deadline available. The citizens' initiative Moorriem would like the project management of NorGer ensure that the converter station is an industrial object in a more sustainable location, namely in the vicinity of NPPs Weser, misplaced.
Environment
Previous studies show that HVDC submarine cables have no known effects on marine animals. In the field of converter station the direct current is converted back to AC, which is then forwarded by overhead line to the nearest substation. The converter stations on land need space and make sounds similar to a substation and Umspannfelds with similar performance - but the noise level in the converter transformers is stronger due to the resulting change in the direction of harmonics. Here is the inside of the plant with 80-95 dB ( A) can be expected outside of 45 dB ( A). This is the location for the construction of the stations of importance in the election. The currently planned at the moment site is located in an agricultural area on marshy ground and should be sealed.