The title “Secure power supply for the central region of Upper Austria” refers to the conversion and new construction of the power line around Linz, which is to be converted from a 110 kV line to a 220 kV line and supplied with five new substations. Following a decision by the Supreme Court, nothing now stands in the way of the project.
The Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) has confirmed in the second instance the EIA approval for a 220 kV supply ring in the central region of Upper Austria, which is intended to ensure the decarbonization of local industry. The “Secure Power Supply Central Region Upper Austria” project by Austrian Power Grid (APG), Netz Oberösterreich GmbH and LINZ NETZ GmbH envisages that the old 110 kV network in the central region will be replaced by a 220 kV supply ring.No suspensive effectThe state had not granted complaints against the infrastructure project a suspensive effect, the BVwG had seen this differently in 2023, but has now basically confirmed the EIA approval in the second instance. “With the current confirmation of the positive EIA decision by the BVwG, however, not only was the environmental compatibility of the project confirmed once again, but the approval was also fully consumable,” said APG. The finding will be examined in detail, but in the opinion of APG, there is now no longer any suspensive effect. Approval from politics “This will in particular prevent a delay in voestalpine’s ‘greentec steel’ project, Austria’s largest climate protection project. This will enable around 2 million tons of CO2 to be saved in Upper Austria from 2027,” said Markus Achleitner (ÖVP), a delighted State Councilor for Economic Affairs. State Councilor for the Environment Stefan Kaineder (Greens) praised the rapid issuing of the decision “after only 16 months in one of the most complex procedures of the past decades.” This means that construction can now begin and the tight schedule for gradual commissioning from 2026 can be met, said Kaineder. In addition to a long-term shutdown of the fossil power plants in central Upper Austria, the new supply ring will also enable voestalpine’s steel production to be converted from fossil-fueled blast furnaces to arc melting furnaces.
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