Connecting Belgium and Germany using HVDC: A Preliminary Study

Although Belgium and Germany are neighbouring countries, there is no direct high-voltage line between them. A study that assessed the opportunity of an ac high-voltage line between the two countries was performed at request of Belgian, German, and Luxembourgian governments. The result of the technical study was that no substantial import capacity can be achieved. In this paper, the conclusions of a new study are presented. This study considers the connection of Belgium and Germany via an HVDC link. It is shown that HVDC can increase import capacity significantly. It would be the first HVDC land cable connection in the UCTE grid.