annual-and-sustainability-report-2014

Developments during the year | Sustainable productionResettlement of villages to open up land for lignite miningA large share of Germany’s energy supply is based onlignite. Vattenfall owns and operates three lignite-firedpower plants and five open cast mines in the Lausitzregion in Germany, and is a part-owner of a power plantnear Leipzig. In 2014 Vattenfall generated more than55 TWh of electricity from these plants and mined61.8 million tonnes of lignite for use as fuel in theseplants or for processing into lignite briquettes.In 2014, 4.8 km 2 of land was used, and a total of 4.9 km 2 of landwas restored or had restoration work begun. Of this, 1.9 km 2 wasrestored to forest land and 1.1 km 2 was restored to agricultural land.Future relocations are planned for parts of the Schleife, Trebendorf,Welzow and Bahnsdorf communities in order to provide room forexpansion of the Nochten and Welzow–Süd mines. An additional mine,Jänschwalde-Nord, is in the planning stages, which would entail therelocation of an additional three communities in the Schenkendöbernregion.Mtonnes 2012 2013 2014Village/communityInhabitantsLignite mined 62.4 63.6 61.8Lignite mining is a vital economic factor for the region, and Vattenfallis a large employer, but at the same time the mining has a considerableimpact on the local communities. The open cast mines moveapproximately 300 metres every year as the mining progresses, andas a result of this, a number of small communities have had to berelocated since 1993.CompletedVillage/communityresettlements InhabitantsKausche 1993–1996 360Geisendorf 1997–2002 45Horno 2002–2004 350Parts of the Schleife and Trebendorf communities 2009– 250Parts of the Schleife and Trebendorf communities(expansion of the Nochten mine) 810Parts of the Welzow and Bahnsdorf communities(expansion of the Welzow mine) approx. 1,700Parts of the Schenkendöbern community(establishment of the Jänschwalde–Nord mine) approx. 900On account of Vattenfall’s decision in October 2014 to study the possibilityof divesting its lignite operations, no decisions will be made oninvestments in mine expansion or resettlement of villages until clarityhas been obtained regarding the ownership issue.Vattenfall’s resettlement programmeVattenfall’s resettlement programme involves many aspects, fromfinancial compensation to preserving the communities’ social structures.At the start of a resettlement process, an assessment is performedthat forms the basis for a specification of social requirements.The aim is for all inhabitants to move to a common location and tointegrate new villages with existing communities. The people whosevillages and communities are to be relocated are involved in the entireresettlement process together with the Lausitz region and Vattenfall.They decide themselves on the new location, usually by choosing fromdifferent locations. If there is no access to public services (e.g., schools,healthcare and other community services) in the existing community,new institutions are built up. In this way both communities benefit.In addition, Vattenfall appropriates funds to support social and sportactivities, community events such as annual festivals and local traditions,social work and economic development. Vattenfall strives – indialogue with the village inhabitants – to find suitable solutions fornew housing and to preserve small businesses in the communities.Cooperation with ethnic minorities in LausitzLausitz is the indigenous region for the Sorbs, a western Slavicpopulation of some 60,000 people who are recognised as an ethnicminority in Germany. The Sorbs have preserved their unique identityfor centuries in Germany, with their own language and own culture.Relocation of their communities is extra sensitive, since it involves aminority population, much of whose culture is rooted in the villagesand risks disappearing due the sudden disruption caused to thegeographic cohesion. Vattenfall’s cooperation with the Sorbs’ interestorganisation, Domowina, began in 2007 when a joint agreement wasreached. As a result of this agreement, Sorbs are only resettled tocommunities that are accepted by them as new settlement areas.Under the agreement, Vattenfall has supported activities aimed atpreserving and promoting the Sorbian language, culture and traditions.This agreement was renewed in 2013 until 2016.Vattenfall Annual and sustainability report 2014 43