Scholz opens Germany's first liquefied natural gas terminal

Created: 2022-12-17Updated: 2022-12-17, 1:00 p.m

Robert Habeck, Olaf Scholz and Christian Lindner arriving on a pier.

© Sina Schuldt/dpa

In his "Zeitenwende" speech, Chancellor Scholz announced the construction of liquefied natural gas terminals in Germany.

Now he has opened the first one personally.

The terminal caused a lot of criticism from environmental and climate protection groups.

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

The construction in the record time of just under ten months shows: "Our country can change and speed," said the SPD politician.

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) also attended the inauguration ceremony.

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.

"There's really nothing to celebrate"

The terminal caused a lot of criticism from environmental and climate protection groups.

“Everyone is now talking about a new Germany speed when it comes to such fossil infrastructure projects.

We would have liked to have used this Germany speed to phase out fossil fuels," said Imke Zwoch, a member of the BUND state board in Lower Saxony.

"It's actually nothing to celebrate."

Technical systems and a crane are on the pier for the LNG terminal in the North Sea in front of Wilhelmshaven.

© Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa

The German Environmental Aid wants to take further legal steps to limit the operation.

A first lawsuit is already pending.

"The climate crisis and the energy crisis must not be played off against each other," said DUH Federal Managing Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner.

He fears that the targeted reduction in emissions of climate-damaging gases will be jeopardized by excessive imports of liquefied natural gas.

dpa