Energy security for central Upper Austria

Official ground-breaking ceremony for a secure power supply in the central Upper Austrian region has taken place

Today saw the official ground-breaking ceremony and thus the starting signal for the major energy industry project “Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria” by APG, Netz OÖ and Linz Netz. The project is a prerequisite for the decarbonization of industry in the region (e.g. electricity-based steel production) and thus the basis for a significant CO2 reduction as well as the success of the secure energy transition in the region and throughout Austria. 

To mark the start of the project, the project sponsors APG, Netz OÖ and Linz Netz, represented by Gerhard Christiner, CEO of APG, Marcus Karger, CFO of APG, as well as the managing directors of the project partners Netz OÖ Manfred Hofer and Michael Haselauer, and Linz Netz Johannes Zimmerberger, invited guests to the ground-breaking ceremony at the Pichling substation. Also present were Stefan Kaineder, Upper Austria's State Councillor for the Environment and Climate, Christian Mader, Member of Parliament (standing in for Markus Achleitner, State Councillor for Economic Affairs and Energy), Gerald Mayer, CFO of voestalpine AG and Jürgen Schneider, Head of the Climate and Energy Section at BMK.

Information days on project implementation

To mark the start of construction this summer for the “Secure electricity supply in the central Upper Austrian region” project, two informational consultation days were held in the municipalities of Kronstorf and St. Florian on September 10 and 11.

The dedicated APG project team and the project partners Netz Oberösterreich and Linz Netz were on site from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to provide interested citizens with comprehensive information. Around 80 visitors took the opportunity to find out about the project in general, the route of the line, the measures in the individual construction sections and substations, the technology used and various accompanying measures.

Individual questions were answered in detail in numerous personal discussions. We were very pleased about the lively exchange with the population from the project region and greatly appreciate the great interest and constructive discussions.

Start of construction work

After the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) confirmed the positive EIA decision of the province of Upper Austria at the end of June 2024, preparatory steps for the "Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria" project have immediately been executed, meaning that the actual implementation of the project can now begin. 

Construction work on the project will start with the first two of a total of four line construction sections and at the two substations Kronstorf and Pichling. This will be followed by expansion and conversion work at six further substations as part of the project. The supply ring will start its operation in stages from 2026 to 2030. 

More information and details in the press release.

Austrian Federal Administrative Court confirms environmental compatibility of the project

It is a milestone for the "Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria" project and thus for the energy transition in Austria. Following the positive EIA decisions by the federal states of Upper Austria and Lower Austria in March 2023, the Federal Administrative Court has now also confirmed the EIA approval for the Upper Austrian part of the project on June 24 in the second instance. The approval for the Lower Austrian part of the project was already legally binding in the first instance.

Next steps

With this confirmation of the positive EIA decision by the Federal Administrative Court, not only has the environmental compatibility of the project been confirmed once again, but the approval is also fully consumable. There is also no longer any suspensive effect, which means that the necessary steps can now begin before the actual start of construction. These include the implementation of ecological requirements (e.g. amphibian fences), construction site equipment, site clearance and other preparatory work. As soon as these have been completed, project implementation can begin.

Federal Administrative Court - Hearing

Almost exactly one year ago (in March 2023), the responsible environmental impact assessment authorities, the provinces of Upper Austria and Lower Austria, decided that the joint project of the three grid operators was not harmful to the environment. However, since three complaints were filed against the positive EIA decision of the province of Upper Austria (one of which has already been rejected by the Supreme Court), a second-instance hearing regarding the two pending appeals was scheduled at the Federal Administrative Court in Vienna for March 4/5 and 7, 2024 (the approval for the Lower Austrian part of the project had already become legally binding in the first instance).

The three-day hearing was very orderly and structured. Issues included aspects of electrical engineering and the energy industry, nature and landscape conservation, forestry and human medicine. 

Hütte Süd

On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony took place for the expansion of the Hütte Süd substation of Austrian Power Grid AG (APG), which is also part of the joint project cluster Central Region Upper Austria. As a new 220/110 kV hub, the expanded substation will be a central element for the decarbonization of the industrial and business location Upper Austria and thus facilitate the success of the energy transition in the region and throughout Austria without jeopardizing the security of supply.

The Hütte Süd substation is also an important part of the grid with regard to the joint project "Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria" of APG, Netz OÖ and Linz Netz, which will make the central region fit for the future, especially with regard to capacity requirements. However, the expansion of the substation is not a legal part of the EIA procedure.

Permission Granted With Positive EIA Decision by Provincial Authorities

The province of Upper Austria, as the EIA authority conducting the proceedings, confirms the environmental compatibility for the joint project "Secure Power Supply Central Region Upper Austria" of Austrian Power Grid (APG), Netz Oberösterreich GmbH (Netz OÖ) and LINZ NETZ GmbH (LINZ NETZ).

From November 29 to December 2, 2022, the oral hearing by the EIA authority (Upper Austria) took place at the Design Center in Linz. Only three months later (March 9, 2023), the positive EIA decision by the authority is available. This decision is the result of a professional handling of the EIA procedure on the part of the EIA authority. This decision is an important milestone for the realization of one of the most important infrastructure projects in the country. It is an important contribution to a secure power supply, the success of the energy transition and the electrification of businesses, industry and society in the region and all of Austria.

The decision shows that there are no negative effects either with regard to nature conservation or from the point of view of human medicine. The authority therefore concludes that the project "Secure Power Supply Central Upper Austria" is environmentally compatible and permissible in the light of the expert opinions and the results of the EIA procedure that was carried out.

Read more about this in the press release.