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View of the LNG terminal with the »Höegh Esperanza« in Wilhelmshaven
Photo: Wolfhart Scheer / dpa
For the first time since the opening of a terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Wilhelmshaven, a tanker has arrived there.
The operator Uniper confirmed this on Tuesday morning.
The tanker "Maria Energy" was escorted to the terminal by police ships the last few meters.
After just under ten months of planning and construction, the first German terminal for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) was opened in Wilhelmshaven in mid-December.
Test operations began a few days later.
The floating terminal off the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony is intended to help close the gap in Germany's gas supply caused by the lack of deliveries from Russia.
The heart of the terminal is the almost 300 meter long special ship "Höegh Esperanza", which is to convert the liquefied natural gas delivered by tankers into the gaseous state and feed it into the German gas network.
When it arrived in December, the special ship already had a load of LNG on board and fed it into the German grid.
According to Uniper, the ship that arrived in Wilhelmshaven on Tuesday is the first of these tankers.
Environmentalists wanted to protest the arrival of the LNG tanker in the evening.
Among other things, they criticize the fact that the gas coming from the USA was obtained on board the ship using the controversial fracking method.
"The fact that Germany is buying fracking gas directly from the USA for the first time today is no reason to be happy, but a historic blow for climate protection and nature conservation," said the German Environmental Aid.
dab/dpa
