A joint route for the construction of a gas pipeline and a 110 kV underground cable through the Mühlviertel would not bring any synergies or save any time: This was the result of an examination by the energy planning authority of the state’s environmental protection department, as reported in the OÖN at the end of May. That is why the projects would be implemented independently of each other, it was said at the time.
The Neos took aim at this today, Wednesday, at a press conference in Linz. Club chairman Felix Eypeltauer and energy spokeswoman Karin Doppelbauer called “the behavior of the ÖVP and FPÖ a democratic farce.” The leading parties in Upper Austria had confirmed in the Committee for Location Development that they would not allow any differing expert opinions. This had prevented an “objective and differentiated debate and project assessment,” said Eypeltauer.
The Neos politicians were joined at the press conference by German energy experts Heinrich Brakelmann and Markus Pöller, as well as Rudolf Niederwimmer, chairman of the IG Landschaftsschutz Mühlviertel. Brakelmann and Pöller said that bundling the infrastructure would bring advantages because less forest area would have to be cleared, it would be on a par with an overhead line in terms of costs and would also offer greater security of supply.
Pushing the limits of judicial authorities?
Niederwimmer said that property owners and municipalities are not opposed to a new line, but that an underground cable is the better alternative. They are not afraid to exhaust all legal options.
In response to an OÖN query, the department of Energy Minister Markus Achleitner referred to the review results of the planning authority of the Environmental Protection Department, according to which the bundling of infrastructure was not recommended “due to technical, economic and safety concerns”.
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Laying pipes in a shared trench is neither compliant with the rules nor can it be approved, says Achleitner, referring to the results of APG, Gas Connect, Netz Oberösterreich and Linz Netz. Linking the two projects would lead to delays.