Amprion awards a billion-euro contract to its Japanese partner Sumitomo
Amprion and the Sumitomo Electric Group have strengthened their technology partnership and signed a contract worth approximately two billion euros for the supply of 525-kV cables. The DC cables will be used for the Rhine-Main Link, one of Europe’s key energy transition projects.
The billion-euro contract between Amprion and Sumitomo also stipulates that the cables will be manufactured in Germany. Sumitomo Electric Power Cable (Europe) GmbH, a newly established company based in Germany, will be responsible for project management for the DC 35 direct current project.
DC 35 is part of the Rhine-Main Link and is designed to transport approximately two gigawatts of green electricity from offshore wind farms in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, as well as from onshore wind farms in northern Germany, over a distance of 530 kilometers to load centers in the Rhine-Main region. Due to the region’s high industrial and population density, as well as the concentration of numerous data centers, there is a particularly strong demand for electricity in this region, which is trending upward. In total, the Rhine-Main Link is expected to deliver up to eight gigawatts of green wind power directly to Hessen starting in 2033, thereby strengthening the Rhine-Main economic region.
Production at Südkabel in Mannheim
“The Rhine-Main Link strengthens the backbone of our future grid. With DC 35, we are making a decisive contribution to the energy transition and to strengthening Germany as a business location,” says Dr. Hendrik Neumann, CTO of Amprion GmbH. Sumitomo Electric is a close technology partner of Amprion and manufactures proven 525-kV DC cables as well as innovative SF6-free cable terminations. The company plans to expand its production capacities in Germany. “Together, we are creating a resilient and future-proof transmission grid, securing the supply of green electricity to an entire region and its businesses, and at the same time strengthening local value creation,” emphasizes Neumann.
The power cables are manufactured at Südkabel, a local subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric in Mannheim. Here, 525-kV DC cables of the highest performance class are produced. Manufacturing in Germany and optimized transport routes, including inland waterway transport, help minimize CO₂ emissions for DC 35. The accessories for the DC cables are manufactured in Japan.
Long and successful collaboration continues
“We are delighted to have secured our third contract from Amprion, following the A-Nord and Korridor-B projects. In addition to manufacturing all cables at Südkabel in Germany, establishing a local Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) office will enable us to provide even more locally integrated, long-term support towards our clients. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with Amprion and contribute to the construction of Germany’s power grid, while working to expand our power cable business across Europe, by reinforcing our power cable factories in Europe, underground cable factory at Südkabel in Germany, and the subsea cable factory currently under construction in the UK,” says Masaki Shirayama, Managing Director of Sumitomo Electric.
The new contract builds on a successful collaboration. In 2020, the Sumitomo Electric Group had already received an order from Amprion for the A-Nord DC project, which connects Emden in northern Germany with Osterath west of Düsseldorf. In 2024, the two companies signed a contract for the Korridor B DC link—another major energy transition project connecting Wilhelmshaven and Hamm. The total value of all three contracts with Sumitomo amounts to over three billion euros.
