New LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven: Clean progress or risk?
New LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven: Clean progress or risk?
In Wilhelmshaven, a new LNG terminal with the name "Excelsior", which is 1.5 kilometers from the shore, was put into operation and has an impressive length of 277 meters. This terminal will feed liquid gas (LNG) into the German gas network and is to reach a capacity of up to 1.9 billion cubic meters this year. The operator is the German Energy Terminal Society (DET). Lower Saxony officially opened the second handling area for LNG on Monday to increase energy safety and reduce the dependence on Russian gas, which after the attack on Ukraine has been strongly in focus. According to Weser-Kurier have been chartered.
The first German LNG terminal was opened in December 2022. In the long term, the infrastructure of the new terminals should also be able to absorb alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and biomethane. It is planned to replace the two floating terminals in Wilhelmshaven with a fixed terminal, which should go into operation by 2026. In addition, the federal government plans to build further terminals in Brunsbüttel, Stade, Mukran and Lubmin. In order to promote the rapid expansion of this infrastructure, a law to accelerate the LNG expansion was passed.
criticism and challenges of the LNG infrastructure
However, critics have registered concerns that overcapacity could occur. The terminal in Stade will not be put into operation for the time being. A load of 50 to 60 percent is currently common at LNG terminals. Lower Saxony has also increased the security measures at the terminals, especially after the attacks on the North Stream pipelines. Environmentalists are concerned about the expansion of the LNG capacities because this promotes CO2 emissions and favors fracking in the USA. In addition, the possible effects on the habitats of marine animals and plants arouse concern.The new terminal in Wilhelmshaven is particularly innovative: while the first terminal chlorine wastewater is introducing into the jade, the new terminal ultrasound technology uses for cleaning and dispenses with chlorine and biocide. Liquid gas is natural gas that is liquefied to minus 162 degrees Celsius and is handled into LNG terminals in order to transport it efficiently.
The current LNG situation in Germany
Germany is currently obtaining liquid gas via floating terminals to close the supply gap that has arisen from the loss of gas imports from Russia. The total capacity of the previously decided floating LNG terminals is around 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which corresponds to almost half the amount that was imported from Russia in 2021. However, the LNG share of the entire natural gas imports in Germany is currently low, but this number should increase with the expansion of the terminals, such as ndr reported.
An analysis of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) shows that the natural gas markets in Germany have now stabilized. Despite the sunken imports from Russia, the supply in winter 2023/24 was not at risk and the gas stores were sufficiently filled. The report emphasizes that there was never a gas deficiency. The declining natural gas consumption and the stabilized supply make it make sense to rethink the project locations set in the LNG acceleration law. This development comes against the background that Germany no longer relates Russian natural gas via Pipelines, while the dependence on Russian LNG continues to exist, but should not increase in the foreseeable future.
The federal government faces the challenge of increasing energy efficiency and making gas trading more climate-friendly, while the expansion of the LNG infrastructure is promoted. These measures must be in accordance with the climate goals that Germany pursues in order to significantly reduce emissions, as in the analyzes of the diw berlin
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| Ort | Wilhelmshaven, Deutschland |
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