South German natural gas pipeline (SEL)

The South German natural gas pipeline, or SEL for short, is a pipeline for transporting gas from Hesse via Baden-Wuerttemberg to Bavaria. The SEL is being built in sections according to demand. The SEL will initially transport natural gas, thereby securing supply during the exit from coal-fired power generation by connecting modern gas power plants and ensuring a continued secure supply of heat and electricity. From the early 2030s, the SEL will transport hydrogen, connecting Baden-Wuerttemberg to the European and national hydrogen infrastructure.

Technical data and project schedule

• Route: from Hesse via Baden-Wuerttemberg to Bavaria
• Length: 250 km
• Diameter: DN 1,000 (1 m) – 1,200 (1.2 m)
• Shut-off stations: approximately every 18 km
• Working strip: mostly 34 m
• Subsequent protective strip: 10 m (5 m on both sides of the pipeline axis)
• Soil cover: min. 1.2 m

Planning approval decision: 2025

Section Lampertheim-Heidelberg

• Planned commissioning: from 2030 to 2037

Section Heidelberg-Heilbronn

• Construction phase: August 2025
• geplante Inbetriebnahme: Ende 2026

Abschnitt Heilbronn-Löchgau

• Bauphase: März 2024
• Planned commissioning: End of 2026

Section Heilbronn-Löchgau

• Construction phase: March 2025
• Planned commissioning: Mid 2026

Section Esslingen a. N.-Bissingen

• Planned commissioning: from 2032 to 2037

Districts and cities along the pipeline route

Hesse

• District Bergstraße: Lampertheim, Viernheim

Baden-Wuerttemberg

• Urban district Mannheim: Mannheim
• Rhein-Neckar-district: Heddesheim, Ladenburg, Dossenheim, Edingen-Neckarhausen, Eppelheim, Nußloch, Leimen, Gaiberg, Wiesloch, Mauer, Meckesheim, Spechbach, Epfenbach, Helmstadt-Bargen, Neckarbischofsheim
• Urban district Heidelberg: Heidelberg
• Neckar-Odenwald-district: Hüffenhardt
• District Heilbronn: Siegelsbach, Bad Rappenau, Heilbronn, Leingarten, Nordheim, Lauffen a. N., Brackenheim
• District Ludwigsburg: Kirchheim a. N., Bönnigheim, Erligheim, Löchgau, Besigheim, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Ingersheim, Freiberg a. N., Ludwigsburg, Marbach a. N., Remseck a. N.
• Rems-Murr-district: Waiblingen, Korb, Weinstadt, Kernen i. R.
• District Esslingen: Aichwald, Esslingen a. N., Plochingen, Baltmannsweiler, Reichenbach a. d. F.
• District Göppingen: Ebersbach a. d. F., Schlierbach, Albershausen, Hattenhofen, Uhingen, Göppingen, Heiningen, Eschenbach, Schlat, Süssen, Gingen a. d. F., Donzdorf, Böhmenkirch, Geislingen a. d. S.
• District Heidenheim: Steinheim am Albuch, Heidenheim a. d. B., Nattheim, Dischingen

Bavaria

• District Donau-Ries: Amerdingen
• District Dillingen an der Donau: Bissingen

Further information at: terranets SEL: Süddeutsche Erdgasleitung (SEL) – terranets bw