Communication support for the building of the 380 kV West Coast Line
TenneT TSO GmbH
2023
The TenneT West Coast Line is a cross-border power transmission line that will strengthen the European energy market. Already in 2017, current Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr Robert Habeck called it “the main artery of the energy transition” in Germany.
In 2019, transmission system operator TenneT TSO GmbH commissioned Prognos to support them with the communication for this energy transition project. In September 2023, work on the 137-kilometre-long power line was completed.
Since 2019, Prognos has been supporting TenneT with communication for the West Coast Line, including planning events and creating information materials. The goal was to build on the already established participation exchange with municipalities, environmental associations and public bodies and take it forward.
With over 400 information events, including 150 meetings with involved citizens, 74 hours of citizen consultation as well as 38 mayoral and municipal discussions, the West Coast Line is a lighthouse project for participation during the planning process. Since 2010, a total of almost 2,800 people have participated in the planning process.
The Covid-19 pandemic, in particular, presented new challenges for TenneT’s energy transition project. But even in this context Prognos was able to continue project support, in analogue, digital, as well as hybrid format.
Dialogue processes such as those concerning the construction of the West Coast Line are an important element of the energy transition as increased citizen participation leads to acceptance and understanding. Equally, it enables the implementation of large infrastructure projects to take place in a way that is in harmony with people and the environment.
The construction of the West Coast Line was conducted in close exchange with environmental associations, which discussed compensation measures for necessary interventions in nature, at an early stage. As a result, in Eidervorland Natural Park, over a two-kilometre section, the existing 110-kV power line was replaced by an underground cable laid under the Eider, to protect the population of migratory birds found there.
More about the project, in German (tennet.eu)
Project team: Axel Bohn, Rebekka Hannes, Jakob Kuhn, Anna-Luise Müller
Latest update: 24.10.2023
Project Manager
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