The transmission grids are the backbone of a modern energy supply. At the extra-high voltage level of 220 and 380 kilovolts (kV), they transport large quantities of electricity from the power plants over long distances to the downstream distribution grids in the regions and connect the German electricity grid with those of neighboring countries. In Germany, the four transmission system operators (TSOs) 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW are responsible for the transregional supply and transmission in the extra-high voltage grid.
The German transmission grid is approximately 38,500 km long and ensures that Germany's approximately 82 million inhabitants, businesses and industry can always obtain exactly the electricity they need for their personal requirements around the clock. Behind this reliable energy supply are around 8,250 employees of the German TSOs, who use their technical expertise to ensure secure grids, develop them in a future-oriented manner and thus make them fit for the most renewable energy supply possible. The TSOs stand for the security and stability of the German energy supply system and ensure that generation and consumption are in balance at all times.
The German transmission grid is divided into four regions, known as control areas. 50Hertz operates the extra-high-voltage grid in the north and east of Germany. Amprion's grid area is mainly located in the west and southwest. TransnetBW is responsible for the majority of the extra-high voltage grid in Baden-Württemberg. TenneT's area covers the whole of Germany and stretches from the Danish border in the north to the Alps in the south.
Would you like to find out more about the individual TSOs? You can access the websites of the four companies here:
50Hertz
Amprion
TenneT
Transnet BW