DÜSSELDORF/DORTMUND (dpa-AFX) - The new A-Nord and Ultranet power highways are projected to reduce grid congestion costs by approximately 700 million euros annually starting in 2027. This was announced by transmission system operator (TSO) Amprion during the presentation of its annual results in Dortmund. Amprion is responsible for the majority of these two major transmission projects.
Grid congestion costs are ultimately passed on to all electricity consumers through transmission fees, known as grid charges. Last year, these costs totaled nearly 3.1 billion euros. Amprion CEO Christoph Müller anticipates that the reduction in congestion costs will provide relief for electricity customers over the medium to long term.
The two new high-voltage lines in western Germany are designed to transport wind power from northern Germany to consumption hubs in the south and west. A-Nord will be installed as a 300-kilometer underground cable running from Emden (Lower Saxony) to Meerbusch near DÜsseldorf (North Rhine-Westphalia).
From there, Ultranet will extend approximately 340 kilometers further to Philippsburg in Baden-Württemberg. Unlike A-Nord, the lines for this project will not be buried but will be mounted on pylons of existing power corridors. Ultranet is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, while A-Nord is expected to go into operation in 2027.
Four Companies Manage the Power Highways
Amprion is one of Germany's four transmission system operators, alongside Tennet, 50Hertz, and TransnetBW. These companies operate exclusively within four designated regions, managing the extra-high-voltage grid—overhead lines with voltages of 220,000 volts and above. A core task for these operators is grid expansion to facilitate the transport of increasing volumes of climate-neutral electricity. All other power lines combined constitute the so-called distribution grid, which is operated by 866 different companies.
Amprion CEO Müller offered a positive assessment of the past fiscal year. "2025 was once again a year of strong growth for Amprion. We have invested more in the energy transition than ever before," he stated. Capital expenditure reached a record level of 5.4 billion euros.
Amprion Plans 7 Billion Euro Investment for 2026
According to CFO Peter Rüth, approximately 7 billion euros will be invested during the current year. Over the five-year period from 2026 to 2030, Amprion now plans to invest a total of around 42 billion euros—roughly 6 billion euros more than previously planned for the 2025-2029 period.
Revenue reached 6.1 billion euros, approximately 9 percent above the previous year's figure. Adjusted consolidated net income rose by over 72 percent to 672 million euros, partly due to tax effects. Amprion intends to distribute about half of this to its owners, with the other half retained within the company.
Energy Giant RWE Also Holds a Stake in Amprion
Amprion is 74.9 percent owned by a consortium of financial investors from the insurance industry and pension funds. The remaining 25.1 percent is held by a joint venture between the energy group RWE and the U.S. investment firm Apollo Global Management.
At year-end, Amprion employed approximately 3,400 people, an 11 percent increase compared to the previous year. In the context of the company's expansion, Rüth spoke of further headcount growth: "We plan to strategically expand our workforce with highly qualified personnel to more than 3,900 employees," he said./tob/DP/jha
