The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court (OVG) has heard a lawsuit from Deutsche Umwelthilfe against gas production off the North Sea island of Borkum rejected. This means that the approval that the Lower Saxony State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology granted to the energy company One-Dyas in August 2024 remains valid. The environmental aid had appealed against the approval.
From the court’s point of view, possible small earthquakes or seabed subsidence caused by gas production would also affect the wildlife in the area North Sea not have a lasting impact. The OVG did not allow an appeal before the Federal Administrative Court. However, an appeal can be lodged against this within one month of the judgment.
The environmentalists had complained, among other things, that the approval authority had not sufficiently taken the effects of drilling and gas production on the Dutch side into account in the German approval process. For example, the drilling noise could disturb porpoises and the production water from the drilling platform, which contains heavy metals such as mercury, can pollute the environment.
Environmental aid wants to go to the Dutch courts
After the verdict, Umwelthilfe announced that it would continue to take action against natural gas production at sea. “Today’s decision confirms that we urgently need a complete law to ban oil and gas drilling in and under marine protected areas,” said Federal Managing Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner. Until then, Umwelthilfe wants to continue its lawsuits against gas drilling in the Netherlands.
An initial lawsuit against the Dutch drilling permit was successful in the first instance. Environmental aid is now relying on confirmation in the second instance by the highest Dutch court, said Müller-Kraenner. A decision is expected this year. The city is also expected to file another lawsuit at the beginning of May Borkum be heard before the OVG Lüneburg.
Natural gas production in the North Sea on Dutch territory has been controversial for years, also with regard to production on the German side. The State Mining Authority had granted the Dutch company One-Dyas an 18-year contract Approval for drilling and gas production under the German seabed granted. One-Dyas has been drilling for gas on the Dutch side since March 2025. This has not yet happened on the German side, said a spokesman for the State Mining Authority.
The natural gas platform off Borkum is expected to produce around two billion cubic meters of natural gas per year in regular operation in the future – according to One-Dyas, this should probably be ready in the fourth quarter of 2026 “before the start of winter”. This amount corresponds to 2.5 percent of Germany’s gas requirements. One-Dyas also has other nearby fields in mind.