Environmental assessment

From planning to construction and operation of our power lines, we make every effort to minimise the impact on people, nature and the environment. The lawmakers demand this from us. What’s more, this is fully in keeping with our corporate identity.

Prerequisites for approval

In order to reach a decision on the approval of an extra-high-voltage power line, legislation requires an environmental assessment. Furthermore, a prerequisite stipulated in the German Federal Requirements Plan Act for the federal sectoral planning of power lines that cross national or federal-state borders is a preliminary strategic environmental audit. To this end, experts assess the current environmental situation in the area under investigation. They also describe the likely impact of the new power line – differentiated according to what are known as “objects of protection”.

These include:

  • people, including human health, animals, plants and biodiversity
  • soil, water, air, climate and the landscape
  • cultural and other real assets, and
  • interactions between these objects of protection.

Environmental aspects in planning approval

Finally, the relevant planning approval authority considers to what extent an intervention in nature is justifiable or where, for example, the route should be relocated in order to ease the impact on the environment. It also involves technical authorities and nature conservation organisations. On the basis of this decision, we then build the power line.

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