First LNG conversion ship in Germany
Created: 11/23/2022, 3:32 p.m
The "Neptune" sails into the port of Mukran off the coast of the island of Rügen.
© Stefan Sauer/dpa
The first special ship for converting liquefied natural gas into the gaseous state has arrived in Germany.
The "Neptune" entered the port of Mukran on Rügen on Wednesday.
According to the company Deutsche Regas, liquids are to be pumped out there so that the ship's draft is reduced.
After completion of the preparations and the pending approval of the EU Commission, the "Neptune" is to be towed to the industrial port of Lubmin near Greifswald and used as a floating terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Mukran - Coming from Wales, the "Neptune" had sailed through the North Sea and around northern Denmark into the Baltic Sea, according to ship tracking services in the past week and a half.
Most recently, she was accompanied by the "Bamberg", a coast guard ship.
In Mukran, the police were present with inflatable boats and divers, among other things.
The "Neptune" is more than 280 meters long and is an FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit).
These special ships can take LNG, heat it up and turn it into gas.
The "Neptune" is to be connected to long-distance gas pipelines that run in the immediate vicinity of the port in Lubmin.
Smaller ships are to take the LNG from a storage ship on the Baltic Sea, which in turn is to be supplied by tankers.
The smaller shuttle ships will then transport the LNG through the shallow Bay of Greifswald to the "Neptune".
In theory, the terminal in Lubmin could be operational by December 1, according to Regas.
However, the "Neptune" will initially remain in Mukran until the EU Commission agrees to a permit issued by the Federal Network Agency.
In addition, objections can be submitted until Monday as part of a procedure at the responsible state office.
When replacing Russian pipeline gas, Germany relies, among other things, on LNG delivered by ship and is building several terminals for imports.
Swimming terminals are also scheduled to open this year in Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony and in Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein.
dpa
