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A first import terminal for LNG is currently being built in Wilhelmshaven, and another is being planned
Photo: Sina Schuldt / dpa
In view of the increasingly uncertain Russian natural gas deliveries, the federal government is pushing ahead with the import of liquid gas: As the Federal Ministry of Economics announced, Germany is to get a fifth state-rented terminal for landing liquid gas (LNG).
The floating terminal located in Wilhelmshaven is scheduled to start in the winter after next, i.e. 2023/2024.
Although it will be chartered for five years, it will only be operated until a hydrogen terminal is launched, said Economics Minister Robert Habeck.
This is to be created in parallel as a way of landing green hydrogen.
Wilhelmshaven should become an important landing point for secure and sustainable energy in Europe.
However, it will take until 2025 before hydrogen can really be delivered to Wilhelmshaven.
Habeck admitted that the contract had not yet been concluded.
But like the other LNG ships, this one is “reserved so firmly that we can plan further and get started”.
He emphasized: "This ship is chartered."
Five billion cubic meters per year
According to the ministry, the special ship has a capacity of at least five billion cubic meters per year.
The owner, the company Excelerate, is said to operate the ship together with a consortium of Tree Energy Solutions (TES), Eon Green Gas and Engie.
TES boss Marco Alverà said his company was building "the world's largest terminal for hydrogen and green energy."
So far, plans for four state-chartered LNG terminals were known: in Wilhelmshaven, Brunsbüttel, Stade and Lubmin.
Sooner or later, however, the infrastructure should be managed privately, stressed Habeck.
"We're not the gas procurement ministry," said the economics minister.
The terminals are necessary because the transport of liquid gas is expensive: LNG is frozen at minus 162 degrees, transported in liquid form by ship, landed, heated, regasified and then fed into the grid.
If all projects were implemented, Germany would import about 25 billion cubic meters of LNG per year via state-chartered ships, Habeck said.
Germany consumes around 90 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
hba/dpa