The two lots extend on a length of 61.3 km between Aachen and Mönchengladbach. The planning approval process is finished. It is planned to complete the pipeline (DN 1000) by the end of 2020. The commissioning shall be realised in 2021.
At the moment the infrastructure project ZEELINK is the biggest project within the current gas network development plan of the Federal Network Agency. The new pipeline with an entire length of 215 km runs west of the Ruhr region. Moreover, the project includes the construction of a compressor station near Aachen as well as three gas pressure regulating and metering stations.
The ZEELINK guarantees the necessary switch from L-gas to H-gas. Until 2030 the production of L-gas will decrease by approx. 90 %. To furthermore combine proven natural gas technologies with renewable energies, private and company plants have to be changed to the higher-grade H-gas. This also affects the thereby involved gas grids.