  The energy transition will lead to an imbalance in electric power generation
and demand along the north-south axis of Germany. To manage this imbalance, the
transmission system operators proposed a network development plan that requires
several thousand kilometers of new lines, which received extensive opposition.
In our recent work, we proposed a landscape-preserving network development
approach, i.e., the hybrid architecture, which relies on the conversion of some
existing AC lines and transformers to HVDC operation. In this work, we show
that this approach can meet the projected capacity and performance requirements
with substantially fewer new lines. Due to the high cost of HVDC technology,
the investment volume exceeds the current network development plan, but the
preservation of landscape and support of public acceptance may justify that
cost premium.
