Progress
Alternative routes announced (26 January 2010)
The definitive alternative routes for the South-West 380 kV connection (the new high-voltage line from Borssele to the western part of Noord-Brabant province) have been announced. Six alternative routes have been announced in total. An environmental impact study of these alternative routes will be conducted in the first half of 2010.
The definitive six alternative routes were announced after the proposed alternative routes were discussed with local authorities and residents in the autumn of 2009. Based on this consultation round, the proposed alternative routes were modified several times before being adopted as the definitive alternative routes. The connection will be linked up to the main national grid at a new 380 kV high-voltage substation to be built to the north of Tilburg, which is the endpoint of the South-West 380 kV line. Three possible locations will be considered as part of the environmental impact study.
Environmental impact study
The environmental impact study is currently being carried out. The study will gather all environmental data relevant to the six alternative routes, the possible locations of the new high-voltage substation and the type of pylon used (either a lattice tower or Wintrack pylon). The study will result in a report known as an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which will be used to substantiate the National Integration Plan. The latter plan establishes the exact route of the new high-voltage connection.
The Environmental Impact Assessment will be completed by mid-2010. Based in part on the EIA, the Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment will announce their decision regarding the definitive route after the summer, in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. In the autumn several information meetings will then be organised for local residents and other interested parties to explain the definitive route.
Recent developments concerning South-West 380 kV (13 August 2009)
In the period from 22 May to 2 July 2009, the Energy Projects Office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has received 76 public comments in response to the initial memorandum for the South-West 380 kV projects. The comments represented 66 different viewpoints, concerning such matters as the relationships between high-voltage pylons, GPS systems and the maintenance thereof, bundling and combining, electromagnetic fields, and proposed solutions to bottlenecks in existing connections. All of the viewpoints can be downloaded from the Energy Projects Office website at www.bureau-energieprojecten.nl (Dutch only). Everyone who submitted comments will shortly receive a letter at their home address, which contains a general response to the views sent in.
NetherlandsCommission on Environmental Assessment issues guidelines
In the past few weeks, the Netherlands Commission on Environmental Assessment (NCEA) reviewed the initial memorandum and indicated which key points must be included in the Environmental Impact Assessment. The NCEA concluded that the initial memorandum provides a solid basis for drawing up the Environmental Impact Assessment. The guidelines issued by the Committee are available for download at www.commissiemer.nl.
Information evenings to be held in autumn
The initial memorandum defines the search area and sets out the principles used in developing specific alternatives (combining, bundling etc.). The alternatives are currently being developed into specific routes. It is the intention that a decision will be taken in the autumn of 2009 regarding the specific cable routes to be investigated in the Environmental Impact Assessment. Prior to that, the draft routes will be presented to the region’s residents and other interested parties. The plan is to organise four information evenings throughout the region to explain the draft routes. These meetings will be held from 7pm to 9pm on 13, 15, 20 and 22 October. The locations and agendas will be announced later.
Initial memorandum for Environmental Impact Assessment to be presented (27-1-2009)
TenneT is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment on a project called ‘South-West 380 kV’. The project involves the construction of a new 380-kV high-voltage connection between Borssele substation and the national grid in the south-west of the Netherlands (i.e. Zeeland province and the western part of Noord-Brabant province). On 19 February, the project partners will present the initial memorandum for the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment to municipal and provincial officials in a so-called regional consultation procedure. Informal consultations will then take place with regional and local government authorities.
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