(Wilhelmshaven) – At the weekend, Germany's first pier for the arrival of ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) was inaugurated in Wilhelmshaven. At least five billion cubic meters of natural gas are to be landed via the terminal every year and fed into the German long-distance gas network. This is around six percent of Germany's gas requirements. This could replace eleven percent of Germany's gas imports from Russia, explained those involved in the project.
Before Christmas, regasified liquefied natural gas will flow into the German gas network through the newly created Wilhelmshaven connection line (WAL), according to the operator of seaports Niedersachsen Ports GmbH & Co. KG, the gas supplier Uniper SE and the transmission system operator Open Grid Europe GmbH (OGE) in one joint communication. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWK), regular operations will start in January.
Preparations began in March 2022. Construction began with the first pile driving on May 5th, the storage and evaporation unit (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit, FSRU) was chartered in July, construction work and pipe laying for the connecting line began in August, and the handover of the The finished feeder took place in November.
Good logistical conditions
The facility in Wilhelmshaven can be accessed by LNG tankers of all sizes and regardless of the tide. At the floating terminal, the delivered LNG is sent to the special ship “Esperanza” of the Norwegian company Höegh LNG, where it is vaporized and converted back into the gaseous state. The gas is then fed from this floating conversion plant via the Wilhelmshaven connection line into the German long-distance gas network near Etzel. OGE has built a 26 kilometer long gas pipeline for this purpose. The work on the port infrastructure was carried out by Niedersachsen Ports, and Uniper built the terminal, the companies explained.
However, the use of FSRU at the new port facility is not without controversy, as large amounts of chlorine from a cleaning process would be released into the sea every day. Environmental associations are already considering legal action against this technology, which is not allowed to be used in Australia for environmental reasons.
More terminals in the works
According to the federal government, another five such floating investors are to follow. The Brunsbüttel location will be supplied by several energy companies from the turn of the year 2022/23. The initial capacity starts at 3,5 billion cubic meters and increases to 2023 billion cubic meters by the end of 7,5. Two more ships are to be deployed in Stade and Lubmin.
A further liquefied natural gas terminal will also be built in Lubmin by the end of 2022 by a private consortium. Another terminal rented by the federal government is scheduled to be ready for use in Wilhelmshaven in winter 2023/24.
Infrastructure also suitable for hydrogen
The design of the terminal and the lines was planned to be “hydrogen-ready”. The LNG infrastructure is a “short-term solution for alternative import options” for fossil gas, which, however, only plays a “temporary” role, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics. The federal government is planning to use the infrastructure for hydrogen in the future. The law therefore provides for a time limit for fossil LNG and must then be switched to green energy sources such as hydrogen.
In August 2022, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson held a meeting in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Hydrogen agreement (“Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance”). The green energy source should be generated in the Canadian Atlantic provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick primarily using wind power and then shipped across the Atlantic to Germany as ammonia. The first transports are planned for 2025.
Photos
Hydrogen will also be processed in the first German LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven in the next few years. © Federal Government / Bergmann
