Scholz opens Germany's first liquefied natural gas terminal

Created: 12/17/2022, 12:58 p.m

Robert Habeck (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, lr), Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Christian Lindner (FDP) are standing in front of the special ship "Höegh Esperanza".

© Michael Sohn/POOL AP/AP

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has opened Germany's first liquefied natural gas terminal in Wilhelmshaven.

The construction in the record time of almost ten months shows: "Our country is capable of new beginnings and speed," said the SPD politician on Saturday at the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) took part.

Wilhelmshaven - 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 will in future convert the liquefied natural gas delivered by tankers into the gaseous state and feed it into the German gas network.

Scholz opened the terminal from the "Helgoland" excursion ship, which normally transports tourists.

Around 400 guests attended the ceremony on the ship.

Four more terminals are to be built by the end of next year: one each in Brunsbüttel (Schleswig-Holstein), Stade (Lower Saxony) and Lubmin (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) - and another one in Wilhelmshaven.

According to the Economics Ministry, together they can absorb a third of the natural gas volume required to supply Germany.

Scholz gave the go-ahead for the construction of the terminals in Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel on February 27, three days after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, in his “Zeitenwende” speech in the Bundestag, which is now regarded as historic.

dpa