At a glance

Project facts

CustomerTransnetBWProject sectionWallstadt–PhilippsburgBusiness areaInfra ServicesBKW company involvedLTB Leitungsbau GmbHProject statusIn progressTransmission line construction periodOctober 2023 to September 2026Project typeExpansionTechnology areaGrid infrastructure / high-voltage direct current transmission / hybrid lineSectorEnergy supply / transmission gridLength42 kilometresPylons96Special pylons24Amount of steel installedapprox. 5,250 tonnesConcreteapprox. 13,600 m³Road constructionapprox. 72,000 m² of steel platesParticipantsapprox. 200 subcontractors and suppliersLand managementapprox. 70 affected agricultural enterprises, 740 plots of land in six municipalitiesSpecies protection10 kilometres of reptile fences with 3,500 m² of fleeceOrganisation984 construction approvals and 1,285 pages of conditions

LTB Leitungsbau GmbH, a company of BKW Infra Services, is carrying out key parts of the challenging section from Mannheim to Philippsburg.

Service provider

LTB Leitungsbau GmbH

LTB Leitungsbau GmbH, a company of BKW Infra Services, is implementing significant parts of the demanding section from Mannheim to Philippsburg.

In doing so, she brings her experience in planning, engineering and line construction.

Project phasePylonsSpecial mastsPlanning work for ULTRANET

A new task for existing power linesHow can the electricity grid be expanded when new requirements encounter densely populated areas, transport routes, agriculture and existing power lines?ULTRANET provides a technical answer to this. The approximately 340-kilometre-long connection runs from Meerbusch-Osterath in North Rhine-Westphalia to Philippsburg in Baden-Württemberg. The direct current connection is carried on an existing 380 kV three-phase alternating current line. Direct current and alternating current therefore share parts of the infrastructure. That is why ULTRANET is also referred to as a hybrid line. As the transmission system operator, TransnetBW is responsible for the ULTRANET section in Baden-Württemberg. LTB Leitungsbau GmbH is working for TransnetBW in this context.Amprion is responsible for the line in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, and TransnetBW in Baden-Württemberg. On the particularly demanding section from Mannheim to the converter in Philippsburg, LTB Leitungsbau GmbH, as part of BKW Infra Services, contributes its experience in planning, engineering and overhead line construction.The challenge extends far beyond the installation of pylons and lines. Existing infrastructure, permits, environmental requirements, land use, logistics and numerous stakeholders must work together in planning and execution.

Planning begins long before the first pylonFor LTB Leitungsbau GmbH, ULTRANET began back in 2012 with initial planning work. In the years that followed, route variants were examined, the sections between Mannheim-Wallstadt and the Philippsburg converter were planned, and the construction sequence was coordinated with grid planning.Construction of the overhead line has been under way since October 2023. Completion is scheduled for September 2026.In line planning and engineering, routes, pylons, conductors, earthing systems and foundations are considered as an overall system and aligned with the requirements of the grid. This includes feasibility studies, mechanical conductor calculations and electrical engineering calculations, subsoil assessments, as well as the planning of working areas and temporary arrangements.Approval and environmental documents are also part of this preparatory work. This creates the technical and organisational basis long before the actual assembly, ensuring that the overhead line construction can later be implemented safely and reliably.

When line construction meets more than 40 tracksMannheim marshalling yard shows just how crucial this preparation is.Scaffolding had to be erected over more than 40 tracks for the crossing. The crane, scaffolding components and other materials were transported to the work sites partly by locomotive. The actual line construction crossed 37 tracks.18 companies involved. 19 applications to Deutsche Bahn. Around 1,000 scheduling activities.Behind these figures lies a complex coordination task. Planning, safety measures, logistics and construction execution had to interlock in such a way that the cable pull could be carried out reliably and safely, while keeping restrictions on ongoing operations as low as possible.This is precisely where it becomes clear what infrastructure expertise means in a project of this scale: success is not determined by a single technical service. What matters is the interplay between different disciplines and stakeholders.

One pylon for multiple power systemsThere are also tasks in the technical implementation for which standard solutions are not sufficient.Special pylon 7220/018A connects different power systems and, at the same time, enables a branch to the Rheinau substation. In the final configuration, both direct-current and three-phase alternating-current lines will be carried on its structure.For this purpose, the pylon is fitted with additional components. A cross-arm enables one power system to branch off. A so-called conductor harp guides conductor cables vertically downwards. At the same time, the design must allow for various interim construction stages until the final line routing is achieved.A total of 24 special pylons were developed for ULTRANET.This individual pylon therefore illustrates on a small scale what the overall project requires: technical experience, forward-looking planning and solutions tailored to the specific situation.

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Infrastructure does not come about independently of its surroundingsThe scale of ULTRANET can be expressed in kilometres, steel and concrete: a 42-kilometre project section, 96 pylons, around 5,250 tonnes of steel and approximately 13,600 cubic metres of concrete.However, other figures show just how much coordination lies behind this infrastructure.Around 740 plots of land in six municipalities have to be taken into account. Around 70 farms are affected by land management. Ten kilometres of reptile fencing with 3,500 square metres of fleece accompany the work. In addition, there are 984 construction approvals and 1,285 pages of requirements.Grid infrastructure therefore does not come about independently of its surroundings. Technical requirements and safety must be taken into account, as must existing infrastructure, people, land use and the environment.ULTRANET shows how BKW Infra Services translates this complexity into tangible infrastructure together with customers, partners and numerous stakeholders: with long-term planning, engineering, technical experience and consistent implementation.This turns the energy transition from more than just a goal on paper into built infrastructure.

What other infrastructure operators can learn from thisPlan early in order to build safely later: in complex grid infrastructure projects, the quality of the preparatory work determines how reliably execution can take place.

Bestehende Infrastruktur als Teil der Aufgabe verstehen: Rangierbahnhöfe, Verkehrswege und bestehende Leitungen beeinflussen Planung, Logistik und Bauablauf unmittelbar.

Sonderlösungen dort entwickeln, wo Standards nicht reichen: Die 24 Sondermasten zeigen, wie technische Lösungen auf konkrete Anforderungen zugeschnitten werden müssen.

Understand existing infrastructure as part of the task: marshalling yards, transport routes and existing lines have a direct impact on planning, logistics and the construction process.Develop special solutions where standards are not enough: the 24 special pylons show how technical solutions must be tailored to specific requirements.Complexity arises at the interfaces: around 200 subcontractors and suppliers, agricultural businesses, municipalities, permits and environmental requirements make it clear that, in addition to technical expertise, infrastructure projects primarily require coordination skills.

The infrastructure for the energy transitionULTRANET shows what modern grid expansion requires: long-term planning, technical solutions for exceptional situations and implementation that brings together numerous requirements and stakeholders.For BKW Infra Services, infrastructure expertise therefore means more than building. It starts with engineering, is reflected in the mastery of complex interfaces and becomes visible where planning is turned into functioning infrastructure.

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