As part of the major SuedLink project, the SKZ plastics center is supporting Strabag AG with quality assurance for the civil engineering work in “Lot 8 on behalf of TransnetBW.” The focus is on the professional monitoring of welding work on the protective pipe systems for the underground cable.
SKZ expert Ulli Eisenhut at a section of the SuedLink route (source: SKZ)
Quality assurance for the SuedLink project
SuedLink is one of the largest infrastructure projects of the energy transition. The direct current underground cable connection will connect the wind-rich regions of northern Germany with Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg from the end of 2028, covering a distance of approximately 700 kilometers.
As part of this infrastructure project, SKZ is responsible for quality assurance monitoring of the welding work on the underground cable protection pipes during the ongoing civil engineering work. The work is being carried out by Strabag AG, one of Europe's leading construction companies.
“The cooperation between STRABAG AG and SKZ is extremely successful,” says Dr. Uwe Knauer, Head of Technical Internal Services, adding: “The technical expertise, reliability, and professionalism of SKZ make this cooperation particularly valuable and recommendable.”
The focus of the monitoring is on the proper execution of the welding work on the plastic pipe systems, through which the high-performance underground cables will later be laid. Ulli Eisenhut is the expert responsible for this task at SKZ. Over several days and at various locations along the route, he checks the quality of the work and thus ensures the highest safety and quality standards.
“The precise execution of the welded joints is crucial for the long-term reliability of the protective pipe systems and thus for the safe operation of the SuedLink route,” explains Eisenhut. “Our job is to supervise the work and ensure compliance with the technical specifications.”
SKZ is contributing its decades of expertise in plastics technology and welding supervision to this major project. SuedLink is one of Germany's most important power highways, which will transport renewable energy from the north to consumption centers in the south.