The development of sufficient pipeline capacity and the construction of a sustainable power grid are the challenges for future energy supply. In order to achieve the energy transition, renewable solutions such as offshore wind or hydropower schemes must be developed and connected to a sustainable grid. This includes not only the provision of sufficient transmission capacity from origin to consumers, but also the protection of the network against the increasing threat from environmental factors such as storms and flooding. It is therefore essential to further push the laying of underground cables to replace the vulnerable overhead lines, for existing networks as well as in the planning of new ones.

Due to the public environmental awareness, smart trenchless installation methods are required for fast and safe installation of pipelines and underground cables, with minimal impact on the surroundings. For crossing obstacles along the routes, Horizontal Directional Drilling is still the preferred option, as it is an economic and industryproven technology.

In recent years, new tooling concepts and features like the jet pump and weeper subs have been developed to increase safety and application range of HDD. While reducing the frac-out risk, these further developments support the trend towards greener operation. A fully electric HDD Rig concept is a further indispensable step towards energy transition, making green energies usable in the drilling industry, while reducing emissions to a minimum. A directly electrically driven rig allows the use of green electricity and assures high efficiency without the losses associated with hydraulic concepts. This paper will present the new Rig concept and the importance of “green” HDD for today´s project requirements.