Germany builds up LNG import terminals
Updates with Stade and Wilhelmshaven 2 due to start operating before winter, rejigs order of sites
Oct 8 (Reuters) -Germany is trying to expand its natural gas import options to replace Russian supply and as part of its decarbonisation efforts.
Below are details on terminals being developed to host floating storage regasification units (FSRUs) to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG). Plans also include shore-based regasification terminals and facilities to import and produce ammonia and hydrogen.
STADE
State-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) said in German media reports that FSRUs at both Stade and Wilhelmshaven 2 will start operations before the winter, without specifying precise commissioning dates.
On June 28, developers at the Elbe river inland port of Stade formally inaugurated a land-based "ammonia ready" terminal for start in 2027, for which a final investment decision had been taken by Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH) in March.
The FSRU Energos Force arrived on March 15 and is expected to operate until 2027, ahead of the onshore terminal starting operations.
The onshore terminal, to be built by Spain's Tecnicas Reunidas TRE.MC, is expected to cost around 1 billion euros.
Gas to arrive there has been allocated to state-controlled SEFE, utility EnBW EBKG.DE and Czech utility CEZ CEZP.PR.
HEH is backed by investment firm Partners Group PGHN.S, logistics group Buss, chemicals company Dow DOW.N and Spanish grid operator Enagas.
WILHELMSHAVEN
Utility Uniper UN01.DE launched Germany's first FSRU operation, Wilhelmshaven 1, in 2022 on the North Sea. LNG/TKUK
Uniper also plans to add a land-based ammonia reception terminal and cracker in the second half of this decade.
Another operator, Tree Energy Solutions (TES), plans to operate the second FSRU, Wilhelmshaven 2, from winter 2024, as now foreshadowed by DET, through to 2027, and plans to eventually convert its operations to clean gases.
BRUNSBUETTEL
The Brunsbuettel FSRU went into operation in April 2023 at the North Sea site, initially chartered and operated by utility RWE's RWEG.DE trading arm before it was handed over to DET at the start of 2024.
It is the forerunner of a land-based LNG facility which has been cleared to receive 40 million euros ($44 million) of state support, and for which ground-laying work has started.
It could start operations at the end of 2026, when a newly inaugurated, adjacent, ammonia terminal could also start up.
State bank KfW, Gasunie and RWE are stakeholders and Shell SHEL.L has committed to sizeable purchases.
MUKRAN
Private company Deutsche ReGas started reloading services from the LNG tanker Coral Energy on Sept. 17, using smaller tankers to deliver LNG to locations without pipeline access.
This followed the Sept. 2 opening of regular operations at the site with FSRUs Energos Power and Neptune.
Mukran, on Ruegen island in the Baltic Sea, will supply onshore grids via pipeline firm Gascade's new OAL pipeline with LNG.
Gascade completed the 50 km (30 miles) infrastructure in February and feed-in is possible, with existing onshore pipelines NEL and EUGAL offering long-distance transport.
ReGas holds long-term supply deals with France's TotalEnergies TTEF.PA and trading group MET.
The Mukran project has triggered local opposition, but legal challenges to commercial operations by environmental groups DUH and Nabu have been thrown out by German courts.
LUBMIN
ReGas and Hoegh, which runs a fleet of LNG tankers, on June 28 signed an agreement to develop a hydrogen import terminal at the Baltic Sea port, a forerunner of operations at Mukran.
From 2026, the two plan to operate a conversion process from cracking imported green ammonia to producing green hydrogen to be fed into Germany's hydrogen core network.
ReGas has ended shuttling imported LNG to Lubmin, which it had began early in 2023, in favour of Mukran.
ReGas also plans hydrogen electrolysis plants at both Lubmin and Mukran.
Gascade has created a grid connection to the Eugal 1 and 2 onshore gas pipelines for a green hydrogen production project at Lubmin, pursued by startup developer HH2E, which is raising funds and ordering equipment ahead of final investment decisions.
Gascade will be able to transport both gas and hydrogen blends.
($1 = 0.9107 euros)
Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by David Holmes, Tomasz Janowski and Ros Russell
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