Berlin, Germany, November 2025 – German transmission system operator 50Hertz has announced an unprecedented grid expansion plan to provide grid connections for 75 new electricity projects by the end of 2029, with a total installed capacity approaching 30 gigawatts. This represents the largest grid connection initiative in the company’s history, marking an acceleration phase in Germany’s energy transition.
Project Scale Reaches Historic High
According to 50Hertz’s official announcement, the total installed capacity of these projects awaiting connection reaches 29.8 gigawatts, covering renewable energy generation, energy storage, data centers, and green hydrogen production. The specific project composition includes: 32 ground-mounted solar power systems (13 GW capacity), 25 large-scale battery storage facilities (11.3 GW capacity), 10 onshore wind farms (2.2 GW capacity), 7 electrolyzer facilities (1.3 GW capacity), and 5 data centers.
Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz, stated that all these projects are scheduled to begin by the end of 2029, though actual operational commissioning may take several more years. The company will expand and upgrade substations over the coming years to handle the additional load, though new transmission lines are generally not expected to be necessary.
Surging Demand for Storage Projects
Notably, applications for large-scale battery storage projects have experienced explosive growth. Beyond the 25 approved storage projects, approximately 150 large-scale battery storage connection applications remain on the waiting list as of the end of Q3 2025, totaling 63 gigawatts of capacity. However, given current grid capacity and substation load conditions, these backup projects have no prospect of starting before the end of 2029.
Last week, Eco Stor held a groundbreaking ceremony in Förderstedt, Saxony-Anhalt, for the first large-scale battery project in 50Hertz’s grid area, marking the official implementation phase of this series of storage projects.
Grid Capacity Faces Bottleneck Challenges
Despite 50Hertz’s ambitious expansion plans, German transmission system operators face severe grid capacity challenges. In a joint position paper, 50Hertz and Germany’s three other transmission system operators—Amprion, TenneT, and TransnetBW—warned: “Without political intervention, the current regulatory framework for connections to the German transmission grid will mean that in many places over the next ten years, neither new industrial areas, data centers, nor gas-fired power plants can be connected.”
To address this issue, the four transmission operators jointly call for a maturity-based grid connection approval procedure. This process would analyze all grid connection applications at fixed checkpoints, considering the grid’s technical situation, and prioritize based on demonstrated project maturity and grid compatibility.
Gas Power Plant Construction Remains Uncertain
Beyond renewable energy and storage projects, 50Hertz emphasizes that new gas-fired power plants are equally important for ensuring supply security and system stability. Stefan Kapferer noted that once the tender design for new gas-fired power plants and necessary locations are determined, these generation facilities must be able to receive priority grid connections.
However, gas power plant expansion currently faces uncertainty as it depends on ongoing negotiations with EU competition authorities regarding additional gas capacity in Germany. Under current rules, even after negotiations conclude and tender announcements are issued, connecting new gas-fired power stations to the grid would still take several years.
A Critical Step in Germany’s Energy Transition
50Hertz’s grid area covers eastern and northern Germany, including the states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and the city-states of Berlin and Hamburg, supplying electricity to approximately 18 million people. The company operates an extra-high-voltage grid with a circuit length exceeding 10,600 kilometers.
Currently, more than half of the electricity consumed in 50Hertz’s grid area comes from renewable energy generation, and this proportion continues to rise. The newly announced plan to connect nearly 30 gigawatts of new projects will further consolidate the region’s leading position in Germany’s and Europe’s energy transition.
This large-scale grid expansion plan not only demonstrates Germany’s firm commitment to renewable energy and storage technology but also reveals the practical challenges faced by infrastructure construction during the energy transition. Finding a balance between rapidly growing grid connection demands and limited grid capacity will be a key issue requiring continued attention and resolution as Germany and other countries advance their energy transitions.
