KONTEK
Cross BorderOperational
DEDK
600 MW400 kV170 km1995Also known as:KONTEK connection, Kontek HVDC interconnection, Kontek HVDC, DE–D2 (border identifier), D2–DE (border identifier), DK2–DE / DE–DK2 (directional border codes used in regulatory/planning tables)
Status:Operational
Capacity:600 MW
Type:cross border
Expected Life:25 years
Website:www.50hertz.com
KONTEK is a 600 MW, monopolar HVDC interconnector (nominal DC voltage 400 kV) linking eastern Denmark (Bjæverskov, Zealand) and northern Germany (Bentwisch). Built to enable cross-border trading, system balancing and improved security of supply between the two control areas, the link has been used to optimise generation dispatch on Zealand...
Supply Chain (6)
Project Timeline (15)
~Jul 2023Cable Installation Complete
By mid‑2023, Energinet and 50Hertz completed the two‑stage replacement of KONTEK’s HVDC cable system, including a 150‑km onshore and submarine section under Energinet’s responsibility and a further ~15 km of underground onshore cable in Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania replaced by 50Hertz, after which the new route was commissioned and the interconnector returned to operation.
~Jul 2023System Restoration
Following completion of the staged cable replacement works on both the Energinet and 50Hertz sections of the route, the KONTEK 400 kV cross-border HVDC interconnector was returned to service. 50Hertz reports that, after conclusion of these work activities and commissioning of the new route, KONTEK has been operational again since mid-2023, restoring full interconnection between the German and Danish transmission systems.
9 Feb 2021Cable Supplier Selected
On 9 February 2021, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. was awarded a contract by German transmission system operator 50Hertz to replace part of the Kontek Germany–Denmark interconnector’s land cable on the German side, covering design, procurement, production, transport, civil works, installation of XLPE-insulated HVDC cable and ancillary components, as well as more than 10 years of maintenance and emergency response services.
9 Sept 2018Cable RepairStale
Following detection of an oil leak on the German land cable section of KONTEK, Energinet and 50Hertz planned a dedicated cable repair campaign. The defective cable section was scheduled to be repaired during works anticipated to run from 13 August 2018 at 00:00 to 9 September 2018 at 23:59, in order to address the technical and environmental risks posed by the leak.
7 Jul 2018Grid Constraint Event
In July 2018, Energinet and 50Hertz decided to offer zero monthly transmission capacity on the DE-D2 and D2-DE interconnectors, including KONTEK, for August 2018. Because KONTEK would be out of operation for planned repair works, they judged that offering monthly capacity would likely require curtailments, so instead set monthly capacities to nil and committed to reallocating any remaining capacity via daily auctions.
May 2018Major Outage
An oil leakage was detected at the end of April 2018 on the German land cable section of the KONTEK interconnector, prompting an extended outage. To locate the leak and determine the scope of repairs, Energinet and 50Hertz switched the KONTEK connection off from the beginning of May and again from mid-May until the beginning of July 2018, removing transmission capacity on the DE–DK2 border during this period.
2016Onss Commissioned
Following a 2014 order from Hitachi Energy to modernize Kontek’s control and protection, the MACH system upgrade—including new operator workstations, training, and spare parts—was commissioned in 2016, providing updated control and protection functionality for the Kontek HVDC converter stations.
2014Converter Supplier Selected
In 2014, Hitachi Energy received an order to upgrade Kontek’s HVDC control and protection system (MACH), including new operator workstations, training, and spare parts, with the upgraded system planned to be in operation from 2016 to modernize and enhance the reliability of the interconnection’s converter controls.
1 Jun 2010Cable Installation Start
Installation of the new 400 kV KONTEK HVDC submarine cable between Gedser in Denmark and Rostock in Germany, including the section across Storstrømmen between Zealand and Falster, took place in the summer of 2010, replacing the existing KONTEK connection.
Dec 1995Commercial Operations Full Power
The 600 MW, 400 kV monopolar HVDC Kontek interconnection between Denmark and Germany was commissioned and entered full commercial operation in 1995, linking the Bjæverskov converter station on Zealand with the Bentwisch station near Rostock via approximately 170 km of underground and submarine cable. In December 1995, Hitachi Energy handed over the completed Kontek Interconnection to its owners, SEAS (now Energinet.dk) on the Danish side and VEAG (now 50Hertz) on the German side, marking the start of regular cross‑border operation.