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Baltic Sea terminal is booming: Rügen as the key to Germany's gas supply!
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Increasing LNG imports via Baltic Sea terminals secure Germany's gas supply after the Ukraine crisis.
Baltic Sea terminal is booming: Rügen as the key to Germany's gas supply!
In the German Baltic Sea, the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has gained momentum in recent months. According to a recent report by World The feed-in via the terminal on Rügen rose to 10.2 terawatt hours (TWh) in the second quarter of 2023. This marks a significant increase, especially when one takes into account the comparatively low volumes from the first quarter.
With the opening in 2024 and the rapid increase in gas feed-in, Germany is reacting to the increased energy needs that accompanied the Russian attack on Ukraine. The federal government has also pushed ahead with the expansion of LNG terminals on the North and Baltic Seas, as the terminals now account for around 8 percent of the country's total gas imports.
Trial operation and challenges
The terminal in Mukran, Rügen, began trial operation on February 24, 2024. The approval came from the Western Pomerania State Office for Agriculture and the Environment. n-tv reports that the special ship “Energos Power” is arriving in the port of Mukran for regasification, while the second ship, the “Neptune”, is scheduled to follow in spring 2024 after conversion work.
Despite this progress, however, there are challenges. German Environmental Aid has just published a clear criticism of LNG imports in 2024. According to their report, gas imports stagnated at 6.9 billion cubic meters, indicating poor utilization of the Rügen terminal. Only 8 percent of its capacity has been used on average, which is sobering given the benefits these projects are supposed to bring.
Market development and utilization of the terminals
In the entire first half of 2023, gas feed-in from the German LNG terminals amounted to 39.3 TWh. The terminal in Brunsbüttel in particular delivered the largest feed-in at 12.4 TWh. Even if the developments on the Baltic Sea appear positive, it remains to be seen how other projects will develop. The second location in Wilhelmshaven, also under construction, recorded a feed-in of 2.9 TWh, but has not yet started final operation, reports YOU H.
However, the plans for the expansion of the LNG terminals envisage a more permanent basic structure. The federal government will build two additional floating storage and regasification terminals to meet the need for alternative gas sources. While critics, including the German Institute for Economic Research, see the expansion as excessive and point to the current lack of gas, the future success of LNG imports remains to be seen.
As long as the preparations and the trial operation of the terminals progress, one thing is certain: the energy transition in Germany is a complex undertaking and it remains interesting to see what course will be set in the future.