In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, EUGAL will run from the starting point at the planned natural gas receiving station near Lubmin at Greifswalder Bodden for around 102 kilometers to the state border with Brandenburg (Vorpommern-Greifswald district). On this section, EUGAL will comprise two string. The planned receiving station will also link it to the upstream offshore system of Nord Stream 2 and connect it with the Northern European gas pipeline (NEL). The EUGAL section in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the receiving station have been approved in two separate planning approval procedures. 

WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED:

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the responsible state authority examined the preferred route and potential alternatives in 2016 as part of a regional development request. It came to the conclusion that a independent regional planning procedure would be dispensed with, since EUGAL will run almost exclusively in parallel to the Baltic Sea Pipeline Line (OPAL) and hence in a corridor that has already been approved.

EUGAL was already presented to the public in November 2016 at three information events. In May 2017, the Farmers’ Associations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and GASCADE reached an agreement on the contractual regulations for construction and operation of EUGAL. The framework agreements serve as a reference for the individual contracts to be concluded with the owners and farmers of the areas being used.

In June 2017, the Stralsund Mining Authority opened the planning approval procedure for the planned natural gas receiving station. Subsequently, alongside the public-interest bodies, the citizens also had the opportunity to view the planning documents and comment on them.  Their objections and stances were discussed on 10 October 2017 at a hearing led by the Stralsund Mining Authority with the public-interest bodies and citizens concerned, as well as GASCADE as the company in charge of the project.

The Stralsund Mining Authority opened the planning approval procedure for the EUGAL section in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on 2 October 2017. The authority will determine the final route through Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in this procedure. 

The planning approval documents for theEUGAL section in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were on public display at the authorities’ offices along the planned route from 24 October to 23 November 2017. Alongside the public-interest bodies, such as towns and communities, citizens also had the opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns. They could do so until 27 December 2017.

Following the public display of the planning documents, the Stralsund mining authority invited public-interest bodies and citizens to a hearing, during which the objections and stances submitted have been discussed and weighed up with GASCADE as the party in charge of the project.

The hearing to discuss the natural gas receiving station Lubmin 2 was held on 9 and 10 October 2017, while the discussion on the EUGAL section was held on 10 to 12 April 2018.

The approval procedure was completed in October 2018. The responsible authority announces planning approval decision that defines the final route and functions as planning permission. Since then, construction work has been under way in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Lubmin 2 natural gas receiving station
The planning approval decision for the natural gas receiving station Lubmin 2 was issued at the end of May 2018. That meant all the approvals necessary to build the station were obtained and GASCADE was able to start work on it.

(German language version – Overview of project for information events – project overview Mid-2018)