Estimated costs went up steeply since the federal government reached a compromise with the southern state of Bavaria to lay most high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines underground after the state had blocked the expansion following hefty not-in-my-backyard protests against overland lines.
On land, the TSOs TenneT, 50Hertz and Amprion now estimate grid expansion costs on land of €27-34bn for the coming ten years, and offshore of €7-10bn.
