Potential Conflicts of Interest in Northvolt Battery Factory Approval: Landtag’s Investigation
The Interior and Legal Affairs Committee of the State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein has launched an inquiry into allegations of potential conflicts of interest against municipal councilors involved in the approval process for Northvolt’s battery factory near Heide.
"It is in everyone’s interest that the factory is built on a legally sound foundation," said Kianusch Stender, the SPD’s economic policy spokesperson. "The nature of the conflict of interest and whether it has any legal implications for the resolution passed in Norderwöhrden must be examined by the municipal supervisory authority."
The allegations stem from payments made by Northvolt to hunting cooperatives in Lohe-Rickelshof and Norderwöhrden in the amount of 3,000 euros each. On January 22, 2024, the Norderwöhrden municipal council voted 4-3 in favor of Northvolt’s plans to build a battery factory near Heide. A few days earlier, the second municipality involved, Lohe-Rickelshof, had unanimously passed similar resolutions.
Björn Jörgensen, the administrative director of the Heider Umland district, stated that "the conversations between the two affected municipal councilors and Northvolt were not known to us at the district administration." The same applied to the payments made by the company. "There were no indications to examine any potential conflicts of interest in connection with the hunting rights." Jörgensen expressed confidence that the suspicions of bias could be refuted in both cases.
District Administrator Thorben Schütt said that according to the assessment of the Dithmarschen district’s municipal supervisory authority, there is generally no conflict of interest for hunting lessees and hunting rights holders in a hunting cooperative. "Against this background, there is no reason to repeat the vote based on the current state of knowledge."
Detailed Examination of Allegations
The Interior and Legal Affairs Committee plans to thoroughly examine the allegations by interviewing the parties involved and reviewing relevant documents. The committee will then make a determination on whether there is a basis for the accusations and whether any legal action is necessary.
In addition to the committee’s inquiry, the state’s public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the matter. The prosecutor’s office will determine whether there are any criminal offenses that require further investigation or prosecution.
Potential Legal Implications
If the allegations of conflicts of interest are substantiated, it could have significant legal implications for the approval process of the Northvolt battery factory. The resolutions passed by the municipal councils of Norderwöhrden and Lohe-Rickelshof could be declared invalid, potentially jeopardizing the entire project.
The investigation by the Interior and Legal Affairs Committee and the public prosecutor’s office is therefore of utmost importance to ensure the legality and transparency of the decision-making process. The outcome of the investigations will have far-reaching consequences for the future of the Northvolt battery factory project.
