Strategic environmental evaluation according to the grid development plan

On behalf of the SuedLink project affected counties, OECOS Ltd. hast carried out an evaluation during the first half of 2015 of TenneT’s application for a high-voltage direct current power line from December 12^th in 2014. This powerline was sanctioned by the German Grid Development Plan and crosses 20 counties from the North Sea to Bavaria in the South. According to § 5 (2) of the Grid Expansion Acceleration Act, a strategic environmental evaluation is required for this application. However, the methodological approach of the application was not in accordance with the necessary assessment and evaluation of environmental interests as required by the standard procedure of strategic environmental evaluations. In our statement on the application, we have made it clear that the §6 application can, by no means, be excluded of the strategic environmental evaluation system, which is part to the Grid Requirements Plan, the German Requirements Plan and all case-specific environmental impact assessments. The Federal Network Agency is the responsible authority and mostly followed our argumentation and judgement.