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Borkum Island: Gas is to be promoted nearby in the future
Photo: Hero Lang / ddp
Several North Sea islands and an alliance around the German Environmental Aid have filed a lawsuit against plans for controversial natural gas production in the North Sea.
It is about a project near the island of Borkum in the border area with the Netherlands.
The parties have filed the lawsuit with the administrative chamber of a court in The Hague.
Islands and environmental organizations fear the drilling will have environmental consequences for the East Frisian Islands, the North Sea and the nearby Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park.
Borkum is suing together with the neighboring islands of Juist and Norderney.
According to Borkum's mayor Jürgen Akkermann (independent), the majority of the mood on the island is against the plans of the Dutch company One-Dyas.
In view of the current energy crisis, a lawsuit had been carefully weighed.
However, a majority of the city's management committee voted in favor of the lawsuit.
Concerns about incalculable dangers for the environment and the islands outweigh the probable long period of gas production.
In addition to possible consequences for nature and marine life, the islanders fear that the drilling could lead to earthquakes and subsidence, similar to the situation on the Dutch mainland.
"This also threatens the essential tourism on the islands, as well as their self-sufficiency of the drinking water supply," said the city.
Environmental groups also criticize that the project will increase dependence on fossil gas.
"The plans have nothing to do with energy security: A small amount of fossil gas should not be promoted until 2024 at the earliest," said Sascha Müller-Kraenner, federal director of the German Environmental Aid.
»On the other hand, the construction of a new platform in the North Sea will create a new infrastructure that will increase our long-term dependence on fossil energy.«
The Dutch company One-Dyas wants to produce natural gas from a field between the islands of Schiermonnikoog (Netherlands) and Borkum.
The gas field covers both Dutch and German territorial waters.
Approval on the German side is still pending
On the Dutch side, the authorities gave the green light for funding at the beginning of June.
According to the responsible Ministry of Economics in The Hague, the possible effects on the environment were examined.
The submitted plans met all preconditions.
Nevertheless, the conditions had been tightened because of the concerns of environmentalists, it was said at the time.
Approval for the funding on the Lower Saxony side, which according to One-Dyas can begin at the end of 2024 at the earliest, is still pending.
A planning approval process is currently under way.
Under the impression of the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war, Lower Saxony's state government recently reversed an original decision against production.
Economics Minister Bernd Althusmann (CDU) signed a declaration with One-Dyas on natural gas production just last week.
The deputy prime minister had said the project should help secure the energy supply.
"The little gas from the mudflats will not help us in the two upcoming winters, but will permanently solidify a support structure for old fossil energies," said Christian Mayer, Vice President of the Greens in the Lower Saxony state parliament.
The Greens had spoken out against natural gas production from the start and support the complaints of environmental groups and islands.
hej/dpa-AFX