Energy security for central Upper Austria

Once completed, the planned 220-kV supply ring will link APG’s substations in Ernsthofen, Pichling, Hütte Süd, Wegscheid and Kronstorf. The system operator’s concept includes the following components:

• replace existing transmission lines;
• voltage conversion (from 110 kV to 220 kV) of the line sections already ready for 220 kV;
• expansion and conversion work at a total of eight substations; and
• work to dismantle the 110-kV lines no longer needed.

To keep the impact on people and the environment as low as possible, the new transmission lines will be installed along existing line routes of APG, Netz OÖ and LINZ NETZ. 

Affording equal treatment to all property owners is of the utmost priority for APG and its project partners, Netz OÖ and Linz Netz.

Our power lines can impact properties in one of three ways:

• when an electricity pylon is erected on the property;
• when the property is traversed by overhead transmission lines (whereby only the land within the easement area through which the lines run is impacted); and
• when forest areas are cleared.

The compensation to be paid for appropriated land (including agricultural land and forested areas) is stipulated in a framework agreement drafted in cooperation with the Upper Austria Chamber of Agriculture.

The framework agreement governs the calculation of the compensation amount stipulated in the private-law easement agreement to be entered into by mutual agreement with all property owners. It also stipulates a number of general conditions relevant to the construction and operation of transmission line systems.

The framework agreement applies equally to all land used for agricultural or forestry purposes, thus ensuring a uniform and equitable approach toward all.

1. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) comprises Austria’s strictest review and approval process. The EIA process is designed to ensure that the entire project is presented in a transparent and detailed manner and that stakeholders (e.g. property owners, local communities, etc.) and other parties involved in the process are able to inspect and comment on the project documents. 
2. Prior to submitting the EIA, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is prepared. In addition to a precise description of the project, the EIS comprises 20 expert reports subject to review and is the main component of the subsequent environmental impact assessment process. The EIS is submitted to the EIA authorities responsible for the assessment procedure (the governments of the states of Upper and Lower Austria).
3. That documentation is taken as the basis for the review and assessment of the project’s potential impact on material assets specific to the region, such as humans and wildlife, soil, water and the landscape. Following comprehensive review by the EIA authorities, an environmental impact assessment report is issued. 
4. While the review is ongoing, the project documents are made available for inspection by the EIA authorities. The same applies to the subsequently issued EIA report/EIA approval notice. The EIA authorities give advance notice of the hours during which the documents will be available for inspection and the ways to obtain access.

The present network development plan will serve to establish a secure, efficient and high-performance supply of power to support the future development of central Upper Austria. It will improve the integration of renewable energy sources to make clean energy available throughout Austria.
The integration of green electricity is a crucial part of the network development plan, as it will be necessary to electrify industrial processes if the energy transition is to succeed. voestalpine, for instance, will only be able to switch to new, carbon-friendly technologies – i.e. electricity-based steel production – if it has access to a high-performance power grid.

In 2021, APG invested some 357 million euros in the Austrian electricity infrastructure.

APG plans to invest around 3.5 billion euros by 2030 to support a green electricity future for Austria and to meet the Austrian federal government’s climate and energy targets.

The “Energy security for central Upper Austria” project will be rolled out gradually between 2026 and 2031.