Gas funding in front of Borkum: exceeded expectations - environmentalists alerted!

Gas funding in front of Borkum: exceeded expectations - environmentalists alerted!

Borkum, Deutschland - Gas funding by the company One-Dyas in front of the North Sea coast shows encouraging results. Around two months after the start of production, which started in a test phase at the end of March 2023, the company spokeswoman reported that the production volume fulfills the high expectations. So far, however, specific figures have not been published. 35 percent of the funded natural gas already flow to German households and companies, and one-dyas plans to increase production to up to three percent of German gas requirements. The drilling takes place about 20 kilometers northwest of Borkum, where a drilling platform was built.

One-Dyas has received approval from the Lower Saxony State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology for the holes. Previously, the first access to a natural gas field was drilled in the Dutch area in autumn, with the intention of also making funding in German fields. Nevertheless, the company is faced with resistance.

Resistance of environmental associations

An alliance of environmental protection organizations, including German environmental aid, argues against gas funding and expresses concerns about possible damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In particular, the laying of a power cable to supply the funding platform with a wind power from the offshore wind farm Riffgat ensures legal disputes. The environmental associations fear that the eight -kilometer cable laying underwater biotopes and reef structures could endanger.

Before the Oldenburg Administrative Court, One-Dyas achieved a partial success: a water law permit for the sea cable was declared immediately. Nevertheless, the Ministry of the Environment in Hanover emphasizes that the cable laying may only begin if there are both water law and nature conservation permits. One-Dyas plans to continue preparing and tenders for cable laying in summer.

environmental protection and dialogue

One-Dyas is aware of the potential environmental impact of his project and strives to be a reliable partner and good neighbor. The company emphasizes its commitment to an active dialogue and cooperation with all stakeholders. The aim is to prevent cumulative effects and, if necessary, mitigate them. In a cumulation test, no significant effects were found by the planned activity, and it is guaranteed that no accumulation of underwater sounds occurs during the project implementation.

The ongoing dialogue is also essential to create social added value and contribute to the energy transition and the natural development. Here, one-dyas pursues the demands of both the local communities and the environmental associations in order to be able to transferred their projects without restriction.

For further information on offshore wind energy and its requirements, the Federal Environment Agency can be visited at Environmental Bundesamt

The developments related to the one-dyas project will continue to be of considerable interest in the future, both because of the energy transition and with regard to environmental protection.