Environmental alarm: Gas project threatens Borkum reef land and biodiversity!

Environmental alarm: Gas project threatens Borkum reef land and biodiversity!

The energy group One-Dyas has submitted an application for a new gas funding project in the North Sea between Germany and the Netherlands. This project comprises holes in the area completely under the Natura 2000 area "Borkum Riffgrund". The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has expressed sharp criticism of this project and calls for its cancellation while preparing legal steps to reject the application. In June 2023, one-dyas already carried out test drilling without the necessary approval of German authorities, which has increased the concerns about environmental compatibility, Oekonews .

The planned project is part of the "Gateway to the Ems Project", which includes several gas fields on the German-Dutch border. These fields include N05-A and the newly requested field N04. The aim of the project is to create a coherent fossil infrastructure along the Ems mouth, which from the perspective of environmentalists is a massive intervention in nature. Constantin Zerger, the head of the DUH, describes the project as an important attack on the climate, environment and biodiversity. He calls on both the federal and state government to prevent such projects.

environmental concerns and reactions

The environmental officer of the city of Borkum, Sandra Franke, confirmed that the announcement of the project was not a surprise and that the city will make an official statement. The application for the exploration drilling was submitted to the responsible ministry in the Netherlands at the end of February. The approval is still decided, with one-dyas already started with gas funding in front of Borkum and Schiermonnikoog at the end of March, with the test phase to take about 90 days, such as nwzonline

The Natura 2000 network aims to counteract the decline in wild species and natural habitats in the EU and to maintain the biological diversity. With the introduction of the bird protection guideline in 1979 and the Fauna Flora Habita Directive 1992, protected areas for endangered species and habitats were shown. In Germany, for example, 281 domestic animal and plant species are protected, which underlines the great importance of initiatives such as Natura 2000. Almost 100 species and 93 habitat types Among the relevant guidelines show the urgency to protect ecological standards and to protect ecosystems, such as Bfn Beton.

The situation around the gas funding project in front of Borkum is another example of the tensions between energy safety and environmental protection. While the energy group can provide to contribute to energy supply, the pressure on the part of environmentalists is growing to minimize the threatening risks for flora, fauna and the climate.