Environmental coordination for a large-scale energy infrastructure project

Heijmans is one of the Netherlands' leading construction and infrastructure companies, operating across sectors ranging from residential building to technical infrastructure. For a demanding project commissioned by TenneT, involving the installation of a cable connection and the construction of a high-voltage substation in the Boxmeer region, an experienced environmental coordinator was needed to manage the full process from surveys to permitting procedures.

Projects of this scale require someone who can operate independently, oversee multiple specialists and parallel workstreams, and report progress clearly to the wider project team. That kind of capacity isn't always available in-house at precisely the right moment.

The challenge

All conditioning surveys needed to be inventoried, commissioned, and delivered on time, while the permitting process had to be set up in a structured way in coordination with the relevant authorities. That called for a specialist with hands-on sector experience who could step in without delay.

Blackbear's role

The assignment was scoped in detail: clarifying the exact need, identifying the right profile, and establishing a workable structure for an engagement spanning more than a year. A specialist was selected with a demonstrable track record as an environmental coordinator in complex project environments. Throughout the engagement, Blackbear remained involved to ensure the collaboration ran smoothly and expectations stayed aligned.

Result

The environmental coordinator hit the ground running, taking ownership of conditioning surveys, tender coordination, and the initial steps in the permitting process. Progress was reported back to the project team in a structured manner, aligned with the project's key milestones. The engagement runs through to October 2026 and is on track.