Logistics faces major challenges in connection with the establishment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, aimed at reducing dependence on natural gas from Russian pipelines. In Wilhelmshaven, Economics Minister Habeck officially launched the first pile driving. Environmental groups are protesting.
It is expected to be operational within ten months. Contracts have been signed with the state of Lower Saxony for the chartering of a total of four floating liquefied natural gas terminals – so-called Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs). "Now more than ever, we need to base our energy supply on more robust pillars. An accelerated energy transition is essential for an affordable, independent, and secure energy supply," said Habeck. "We must triple the pace of renewable energy expansion on water, on land, and on rooftops, and accelerate the development of the water sector. And this can only be achieved together.".
The FSRUs are specialized vessels capable of both receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) from LNG tankers and converting it back into a gaseous state on board before feeding it into the gas grid. The German Federal Government has now secured options on four FSRUs (instead of the originally planned three) through the companies RWE and Uniper to further enhance security of supply in Germany. Federal funds of €2.94 billion have been allocated for this purpose. The four FSRUs each provide a regasification capacity of at least 5 billion cubic meters per year. Specifically, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is leasing two vessels each from the providers Höegh and Dynagas, based on Germany's annual gas demand of approximately 95 billion cubic meters. RWE and Uniper will operate the vessels, with whom the Federal Government has concluded service contracts.
One of the Höegh vessels is already available and is scheduled to enter service in Wilhelmshaven at the turn of the year 2022/23. Preparatory work on the infrastructure is already well underway there. The second Höegh vessel is planned to be stationed in Brunsbüttel at the beginning of 2023. A location decision for the Dynagas vessels is still pending, but this is expected to be made as soon as possible. Other potential locations for basing a Fireboat Rescue Unit (FSRU) include Stade, Rostock, Hamburg-Moorburg, and Eemshaven in the Netherlands.
Environmental organizations have already filed objections and are criticizing the accelerated approval process. "We have a good chance of achieving what is practically impossible in Germany: building an LNG terminal within about ten months and connecting it to the German gas supply," said Habeck, who watched the pile driving at Voslapper Groden from a ship on Thursday. He told the North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR). https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/Bau-des-LNG-Terminals-Wilhelmshaven-Habeck-warnt-vor-Klagen,lng268.html However, he warned that legal disputes could prevent this – and of the corresponding consequences. Should the terminals not be built, security of supply would no longer be guaranteed in the event of a Russian gas shutdown.
The German environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe is demanding a construction halt because the terminal endangers harbor porpoises (https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/lng-gesetz-versorgungssicherheit-103.html) and could destroy an underwater biotope. For the approximately 370-meter-long pier, 150 steel piles, each 50 meters long, are being driven into the seabed.
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