Berlin defends felling of 10 healthy horse chestnut trees for power plant upgrade

Berlin's environmental senate administration has justified the felling of ten healthy horse chestnut trees, calling the action "indispensable" for the extensive reconstruction of the Charlottenburg heating plant. The decision has sparked debate, with the administration emphasizing the challenging site conditions.

"The reconstruction is taking place on a very confined construction site in direct proximity to other uses," the senate administration stated in response to inquiries. "Therefore, the construction logistics are extremely demanding, especially with regard to the spatial conditions." The project also requires the renewal of bridges surrounding the site and the riverbank walls along the Spree.

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The reconstruction is taking place on a very confined construction site in direct proximity to other uses. Therefore, the construction logistics are extremely demanding, especially with regard to the spatial conditions.

To mitigate the environmental impact, the state-owned company Berliner Energie und Wärme (BEW), responsible for the upgrade, has committed to replanting twice the number of trees removed. They plan to use older, more established trees to ensure a quicker return to the previous tree density by 2030.

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The last few weeks have shown us with great clarity how important climate adaptation and, in particular, immediate action against climate change is.

The project aims to convert the heating plant to more environmentally friendly district heating, incorporating a modern combined heat and power (CHP) plant and a power-to-heat system to convert surplus renewable energy into heat. The felling of the trees, located on an adjacent site to provide necessary construction space, was initially prohibited by the Charlottenburg district office. However, the Higher Administrative Court ruled that the tree felling was permissible, following a lawsuit filed by BEW.

State Secretary Andreas Kraus acknowledged the "painful step" of removing the trees, stating that BEW exhaustively explored all alternatives for site setup. He stressed the urgency of climate adaptation and immediate action against climate change, noting Berlin's goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045 and phasing out coal use by 2030.

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Berlin wants to become climate-neutral by 2045. By phasing out coal use from 2030, we are achieving an important milestone on this path.