Recent Projects

March 27th, 2014

OECOS GmbH is participating in a research and development project regarding the design of overhead HV- power lines in collaboration with SAG GmbH, Langen, and the Leuphana Univeristy of Lüneburg.  This project was commissioned by the Federal Conservation Agency.  This project seeks to take the aesthetics of the landscape into consideration by reducing the visual effects of HV-power line masts on the landscape. The new mast designs developed by SAG GmbH will be examined for their effects on avifauna.  The proposed steps OECOS will take in this project are listed below:

  • Visual assessment of an innovative design concepts of overhead HV-power lines for both sensitive landscapes and the more general landscape,
  • Assessments of a variety of mast designs for HV-power lines with consideration to their visual effects on the landscape and its potential as a place of relaxation,
  • Analysis and assessment of the effects of new overhead HV-power line designs on avifauna.

December 12th, 2014

The energy company Tennet submitted a NABEG § 6 planning proposal to the Federal Network Agency on December 12th, 2014 for a high voltage direct current transmission line between Wilster (Schleswig-Holstein) and Grafenrheinfeld (Bayern).  This proposed project is part of the Federal Requirements Plan of 2012.  The company´s preferred HVDC transmission corridor however has been in public discussion for a while.  This public discussion led to the signing of the “Declaration of Hameln” on Dec. 12th, 2014, which was submitted to the Federal Network Agency in January.  The declaration was crafted and signed by 18 counties that are directly impacted by Tennet´s preferred transmission corridor.  The statement contains a request that asks the Federal Network Agency to carefully review Tennet´s proposal.  The statement does not question the underlying necessity for the transmission line due to its importance in the national “Energiewende”.  The counties demand a close collaboration between Tennet and the affected counties and communities in order to determine the best transmission corridor.  Tennet´s current approach to selecting a transmission corridor should be examined critically, due to a lack of transparency in the planning process and professionally questionable planning methods.  The counties are particularly interested in understanding the criteria employed for the selection of the transmission corridor.

OECOS GmbH will take a critical look at the SuedLink NABEG § 6 proposal in order to provide professional planning advice to the counties that signed the “Declaration of Hameln.”  The results will serve to support the counties in navigating conferences between the public and Tennet over the planning of SuedLink.  

August 27th, 2014

OECOS GmbH is working with the Öko-Institut, the engineering company G.E.O.S. mbH, the Ewen team and the Leibniz-Institute for Ecological Urban and Regional Development on a research and development project for the Federal Environmental Agency about subterranean land use planning.  Subterranean land use planning is intended to function as a tool that will help guide a balanced development of the subterranean realm that is in accordance with the climate protection policies of the German government.  These efforts follow goals of a Coalition Agreement, according to which this project begins to develop the basis for subterranean planning.  For this research and development project regarding subterranean planning, geoscientific information, planning and regulatory information will be drawn together.  In addition the study draws together information from a previous study of this topic and examines the practical applications of the results.

July 30th, 2014

The Federal Environment Agency presented the results of a research and development project on fracking at a press conference in Berlin.  This project investigated the environmental effects of fracking for natural gas, especially for shale gas exploration.  As part of this report, OECOS completed the Work Packet “Use Competition and Environmental Protection.”  This project is referenced frequently since it serves as the Federal Environment Agency´s main foundation for the discussion of hydraulic fracturing. 

March 24th, 2014

The city of Flensburg will be working on crafting plans in the coming year for redeveloping a vacant area surrounding the central train station.  The city´s community development plan will be adjusted and zoning ordinances will be proposed for the new development.  OECOS GmbH received a contract from the Flensburg Association for Urban Development mbH to complete the environmental assessment of the proposed development plans.

March 10th, 2014

New results were published from the participation in the KLIMZUG-NORD project. See: ROTTGARDT, E., RUNGE, K. (2014)

March 2nd, 2014

A final report of the hydraulic fracturing research and development project that was commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency, will be published in June 2014.  Our preliminary findings are discussed in detail in the Feb 1st, 2014 edition of “Welt.” 

15 May 2013

the hearings pursuant to Article 4 of the Offshore Installations Ordinance (SeeAnlV) in conjunction with Article 73 of the Administrative Procedures Act for the offshore wind farms “Baltic Eagle” and “Ostseeschatz” in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) took place in Rostock. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ing. Karsten Runge, the OECOS team presented the results of the environmental studies examining the assets of Article 2 EIA Act and assessed the environmental impacts of the construction, installation and operation of the two planned offshore wind farms.