18 February 2022
The Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment has issued a final advice on the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for gas production N05-A in the North Sea. The conclusion is that the EIA contains the essential environmental information to make a decision about the gas production in block N05-A. In the EIR, the usefulness and necessity of the project are sufficiently described, according to the Commission.
As a result of the opinions, discussions with stakeholders and the preliminary advice of the Commission, the location of the production and drilling platform will be shifted approximately 850 metres to the south, where the seabed mainly consists of sand. The modification of the preferred alternative will lead to an activity with less negative impact on the environment, concludes the Commission. The drill cuttings and drilling mud will be removed by ship. This will prevent possible suffocation of soil life. Stakeholders and the Committee expressed a preference for post-treatment of the production water. That preference will be met by installing an active carbon filter to limit the contamination of sea water by production water. The Commission appreciates the choice of electrification of the platform, which will limit emissions into the air as much as possible.
The Commission concludes that the supplemented EIR systematically and comprehensively addresses all the points of the preliminary opinion. The environmental effects have now been sufficiently mapped out.
The EIA Commission’s final recommendation can be read here.