Jacobs to Support Renewable Energy Solutions for Germany’s SuedLink Program

DALLAS – Jacobs (NYSE:JEC) has been appointed separately by transmission system operators TenneT and TransnetBW to support the planned SuedLink program which will deliver new underground cable connection to transport wind power from northern Germany to Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. SuedLink will help to better integrate renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, into Germany’s electricity grid, and it will link with interconnectors to provide cross-border energy resilience. 

SuedLink is a key component of Germany’s power grid upgrade, which is required to meet its target of 80% of energy from renewable sources by 2050. The 700-kilometer underground cable line is being planned and built by the transmission system operators TenneT and TransnetBW, with an investment of approximately $11 billion (10 billion euros). TenneT is responsible for the northern section of the cable connection, TransnetBW for its southern part.  Jacobs will provide an integrated delivery partner approach to program and contract management, planning and approvals, stakeholder engagement, logistics, technical and other services on behalf of TenneT and TransnetBW respectively. SuedLink is the first major project in Germany to use a central service provider contract approach.

"The demand for smart, sustainable solutions across environmental and resource resiliency challenges is one of the biggest issues of our time and SuedLink is set to play a decisive role in Germany’s renewal ambitions,” says Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Europe Senior Vice President and General Manager Donald Morrison. “Jacobs has a strong track record of delivering complex, one-of-a-kind programs such as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Dubai Expo 2020 and the Panama Canal Expansion Program.  We look forward to supporting TenneT and TransnetBW to deliver this iconic transformational program with sustainable, community-orientated outcomes at its heart."

"SuedLink is the most important single project of the energy system transformation in Germany and also in Europe,” said TenneT Managing Director Tim Meyerjürgens. “This is precisely why steering and coordination play a very important role."

"By commissioning Jacobs and setting up a SuedLink site in Würzburg, we have created ideal conditions for the successful implementation of the world's largest underground cable project central to transforming Germany’s energy system,” said Managing Director of TransnetBW Dr. Werner Götz.

Up to 250 employees in Würzburg will work closely together on SuedLink - including engineers, archaeologists, landscape planners, biologists, geologists, digital specialists and project managers.

Beginning October 2019, TenneT, TransnetBW and Jacobs will be working together at the new SuedLink project site in Würzburg, starting with approximately 130 employees, with plans to grow to 250 as the project progresses. Additional project offices will be added in Germany; this local engagement will be vital as the project progresses its stakeholder communications, planning and other activities in the region.

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector providing solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With approximately $12 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 50,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors. For more information, visit www.jacobs.com, and connect with Jacobs on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.