Presentation of procedure documents to the public - new pipeline project well on schedule

Kassel. The approval processes for the European gas pipeline link EUGAL are progressing: After the regional planning procedure was already opened in Saxony in November, the official investigation to identify a preferred corridor and possible alternatives, also in the Brandenburg section, will now begin. At a length of 275 kilometers this is the longest of the planned 485 kilometer-long natural gas pipeline.

In this procedure, the regional planning authority will investigate the various effects of the project that have a spatial impact, for example, on the settlement structure, business development, agriculture, nature and landscape from a supra-local viewpoint. The municipalities and the other bodies dealing with public matters also have the opportunity during this time to comment on the procedure documents. To inform and involve the local residents, the application documents will be made available to the public in all municipalities affected by the route corridors.

The people along the possible route have already been given an initial overview of the project: In recent weeks, the GASCADE project team presented the plans for the gas pipeline to the public in five municipalities in Brandenburg. “The development of infrastructure is a community task. Entering into dialog with local residents provides an opportunity to involve the public and gain important information for the planning process,” said Chief Project Manager Ludger Hümbs.

The EUGAL is expected to transport gas from the Baltic Sea as far as the Czech Republic from the end of 2019. The Brandenburg section plays a particularly important role. A connection pipeline from there will link Poland and the Baltic States even more closely with the Northwest European pipeline system. A compressor station is also planned. The section in Brandenburg runs from Schönfeld (Uckermark district) southwards to Großthiemig (Elbe-Elster district). In order to minimize the space required for the section, which is around 275 kilometers in length, the pipeline will be laid as close as possible to the OPAL natural gas pipeline.

With the new pipeline, GASCADE is responding to the growing demand for gas and gas transport capacity in Europe. The business information service IHS expects an annual shortfall in imports of 170 billion cubic meters in 2035. At the same time, the Europe-wide market survey more capacity shows that the long-term transport requirements between Germany and its neighbors are in some cases well above the available technical capacities.

GASCADE is providing information about the project on the Internet site www.eugal.de.