Criticism of power line

“A second Ohlsdorf looms in the Mühlviertel”

The Neos demand that an underground power cable be laid parallel to the 40-kilometer gas pipeline in the Mühlviertel.

(Bild: Gas Connect Austria (GCA))

A heated debate is scheduled for today, Wednesday, from 1 pm in the parliamentary committee round. The Neos criticize an overhead power line project in the Mühlviertel, which according to the plans endangers 44 hectares of forest. There is a far more environmentally friendly alternative - but the ÖVP is opposed to it.

Things could get more turbulent than usual today in the usually rather dry Committee for Site Development. This is because the Neos are putting a topic on the agenda that they have already described in advance as a "second Ohlsdorf". As reported in detail, around 19 hectares of forest were cleared there for a controversial business development area. Now something similar could happen in the Mühlviertel - only on a much larger scale, fears Neos member of the National Council Karin Doppelbauer.

Does Strugl want to "push through" his project?
In her view, the ÖVP is blocking the laying of a 110 kV high-voltage line as an underground cable parallel to the WAG loop gas pipeline from Oberkappel to Bad Leonfelden. "Technically not possible", "Gas and power lines must not be laid next to each other due to the risk of explosion" - these are the arguments of the ÖVP. For Doppelbauer, on the other hand, it is clear that Verbund boss Michael Strugl wants to "push through" an overhead line in the Mühlviertel instead of the underground cable, which he designed while he was still the responsible ÖVP provincial councillor.

We are presenting a finished plan to the committee, which was drawn up by Gas Connect Austria GmbH. This plan shows the feasibility of laying the electricity and gas pipelines in parallel.

Felix Eypeltauer, Neos-Klubobmann

2.3 instead of 44 hectares of forest
However, this project would destroy 44 hectares of forest, according to a plan by Gas Connect Austria, which Neos club leader Felix Eypeltauer intends to present to the committee today. However, laying the electricity and gas lines together - with a safety distance of ten meters between the two lines - would only take up an additional 2.3 hectares of forest, according to the plans. Parallel laying is also the preferred option of the affected landowners and municipalities, emphasizes Doppelbauer: eight ÖVP-led municipalities have already committed to this by unanimous municipal council resolutions.